Final answer:
Meteorite inclusions reflect cosmic history and can predate the solar system. The Allende and Murchison meteorites are notable for their inclusions and complex organic molecules. They offer insights into extraterrestrial chemistry and the origins of life.
Step-by-step explanation:
Inclusions found on meteorites with elements in different abundances from the surrounding material are often indicative of ancient cosmic events. These inclusions can date back to before the formation of the solar system and can provide insights into the early solar nebula. The Allende carbonaceous meteorite, for instance, is known for its white inclusions which might date back to this era. Alternatively, fragments like the one from the iron meteorite responsible for Meteor Crater in Arizona represent a different type of inclusion, and stony-iron meteorites such as Imilac feature a mix of green olivine crystals and metallic iron.
Meteorites like these, including the famed Murchison meteorite, are renowned not only for their distinct inclusions but also for the presence of complex organic molecules and amino acids, some of which are rare on Earth. The presence of amino acids with both right-handed and left-handed molecular symmetry is particularly fascinating, as it suggests an extraterrestrial origin, different from the solely left-handed amino acids used in proteins by all life on Earth.
The study of meteorites, with their diverse inclusions and composition, thus provides a valuable window into the chemicals that predate our planet and can hold clues to the formation of the solar system and the fundamental building blocks of life.