Question

Creationists sometimes disparage the experiments of Miller and Urey (apparatus illustrated below), pointing out that they did not make all of the amino acids we see today in any given run of the experiment. This criticism misses the point of the Miller-Urey experiments, as they intended to demonstrate __________.

A. how the first functional cells originated
B. that organic molecules can be made from inorganic building blocks in the absence of living organisms
C. that they could build macromolecules (especially functional proteins) in the absence of living organisms
D. the exact makeup of the atmosphere on the early Earth

Answer 1

The Miller-Urey experiments aimed to demonstrate that organic molecules could be synthesized from inorganic substances without living organisms, showing the plausibility of spontaneous formation under early Earth conditions.

Step-by-step explanation:

The criticism of creationists regarding the Miller-Urey experiments misses the point that the experiments were intended to demonstrate that organic molecules can be made from inorganic building blocks in the absence of living organisms. The goal was not to create all amino acids or functional cells but to show that under simulated early Earth conditions, simple organic compounds could form spontaneously.

These experiments were based on the assumption that the early Earth's atmosphere was composed of water vapor, methane, ammonia, and hydrogen, and that it was subjected to energy sources such as lightning or ultraviolet light.