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Science 30 January 1970:
Vol. 167. no. 3918, pp. 770 - 773
DOI: 10.1126/science.167.3918.770
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Articles

Organic Compounds in Lunar Samples: Pyrolysis Products, Hydrocarbons, Amino Acids

Bartholomew Nagy 1, Charles M. Drew 2, Paul B. Hamilton 3, Vincent E. Modzeleski 4, Sister Mary E. Murphy 5, Ward M. Scott 4, Harold C. Urey 6, and Maria Young 7

1 University of Arizonia, Tucson 85721
2 Naval Weaponzs Center, China Lake, Cailifornia 93555
3 Alfred I. Du Pont Institute, Wilmington, Delaware 19899
4 University of Arizona, Tucson
5 St. Joseph College, West Hartford, Connecticut 06117
6 University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92037
7 University of Aizona, Tucson

Lunar fines and a chip from inside a rock pyrolyzed in helium at 700°C gave methane, other gases, and aromatic hydrocarbons. Benzene/methanol extracts of fines yielded traces of high molecular weight alkanes and sulfur. Traces of glycine, alanine, ethanolamine, and urea were found in aqueous extracts. Biological controls and a terrestrial rock, dunite, subjected to exhaust from the lunar module descent engine showed a different amino acid distribution. Interpretation of the origin of the carbon compounds requires extreme care, because of possible contamination acquired during initial sample processing.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Polyamino Acids: Preparation from Reported Proportions of "Prebiotic" and Extraterrestrial Amino Acids.
M. A. Saunders and D. L. Rohlfing (1972)
Science 176, 172-173
   Abstract »    PDF »
Evidence for Compounds Hydrolyzable to Amino Acids in Aqueous Extracts of Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 Lunar Fines.
K. Harada, P. E. Hare, C. R. Windsor, and S. W. Fox (1971)
Science 173, 433-435
   Abstract »    PDF »


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