The Miller-Urey experiment

There are some basic compounds that can be made out of CHON:

  • H2O -- water
  • CO2 -- carbon dioxide
  • NH3 -- ammonia
  • CH4 -- methane
  • HCN -- hydrogen cyanide

    and many others.

    Because the CHON elements were very common in when the Sun and planets were forming, these molecular compounds were also very common.

    Similarly, these molecules are thought to have been common in the young Earth's atmosphere.

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