Biology / Unit 8 Bio 1831 short lesson, about 20 seconds
The Miller-Urey Experiment
Captions available
The idea
Stanley Miller and Harold Urey sparked a sealed mixture of gases meant to model early Earth's atmosphere, producing amino acids within days.
In practice
Electrodes sparking the sealed flask model lightning, converting the gas mixture into organic compounds collected below.
Where people slip
The exact gas mixture is now disputed as early Earth's actual atmosphere — the method, not that mixture, is the lasting result.
Your place on the trail
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