Amino-acids, Aliphatic and Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Murchison Meteorite
Abstract
Two recently fallen carbonaceous chondrites have provided organic analytical results significantly different from those obtained with other carbonaceous chondrites1-3. The Allende meteorite, a type III carbonaceous chondrite which contains 0.27% carbon and 0.007% nitrogen4, was shown to have only traces of extractable organic compounds5. Small amounts of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons were released by heating while no significant amounts of nitrogen containing compounds were detected6-8. This is consistent with the extremely low nitrogen content of this carbonaceous chondrite. Another unique feature of this meteorite is the heterogenous distribution of certain carbon-containing inclusions9. The Murchison meteorite, a type III carbonaceous chondrite, contains substantial amounts of amino-acids, predominantly cyclic aliphatic hydrocarbons10, which are consistent with the appreciable content of carbon and nitrogen of this meteorite (2 and 0.16% respectively). The amino-acids include non-protein components such as sarcosine and 2-methylalanine and, significantly, approximately racemic mixtures of D and L enantiomers of protein amino-acids such as alanine, valine and proline10.
- Publication:
-
Nature
- Pub Date:
- March 1971
- DOI:
- 10.1038/230105a0
- Bibcode:
- 1971Natur.230..105O