Production of Cysteic Acid, Taurine and Cystamine under Primitive Earth Conditions

Abstract

IT is now well established that most of the simple, biologically-important ‘monomers’ (such as amino-acids, pentoses, purines and fatty acids) are formed when various high-energy sources are applied to samples of the atmosphere of the primitive Earth^1–2. This atmosphere is assumed to consist mainly of methane, water, ammonia, nitrogen and hydrogen (the last decreasing rapidly with increased age of the Earth)³. Although the amino-acids are among the most prominent products of the irradiations of ‘primitive-Earth atmospheres’, no report has yet appeared in the literature of the appearance of the sulphur-containing amino-acids. This has presented no problem, since it can safely be assumed that the primitive atmosphere contained at least traces of hydrogen sulphide—however, it is important to have laboratory experimentation to back up assumptions.