Final answer:
The Miller-Urey Experiment took place in 1952 and demonstrated that organic molecules such as amino acids could be synthesized from inorganic precursors under conditions simulating early Earth.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Miller-Urey Experiment was conducted in 1952 by Stanley Miller and Harold Urey to test the hypothesis that simple organic compounds necessary for life could be synthesized from inorganic precursors. The experiment simulated conditions on early Earth by mixing gases that were believed to be present in the primitive atmosphere (ammonia, hydrogen, methane, and water) and exposing them to an electrical discharge, representing lightning. Their groundbreaking work demonstrated the formation of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins, supporting the idea that organic molecules needed for life could have arisen on early Earth.
One of the critical assumptions in their simulation was that the early Earth's atmosphere was reducing in nature, containing gases like methane and ammonia, and was exposed to forces like lightning and volcanic eruptions. This experiment was a pivotal moment for the field of abiogenesis— the study of how life on Earth could have originated from inanimate matter, giving rise to various hypotheses about the origin of life on Earth.