A classic experiment in molecular biology and genetics, the Miller-Urey experiment, established that the conditions that existed in Earth's primitive atmosphere were sufficient to produce amino acids, the subunits of proteins comprising and required by living organisms. In essence, the Miller-Urey experiment fundamentally established that Earth's primitive atmosphere was capable of producing the building blocks of life from inorganic materials.

In 1953, University of Chicago researchers Stanley L. Miller and Harold C. Urey set up an experimental investigation into the molecular origins of life. Their innovative experimental design consisted of the introduction of the molecules thought to exist in early Earth's primitive atmosphere into a closed chamber. Methane (CH₄), hydrogen (H₂), and ammonia (NH₃) gases were introduced into a moist environment above a water-containing flask. To simulate primitive lightning discharges, Miller supplied the system with electrical current.

After a few days, Miller observed that the flask contained...