SOURCES OF ENERGY 1 79 



ammonia give rise to a whole series of different, and some- 

 times very complicated, products including nitriles, amines, 

 amides, etc. For example, the action of a silent discharge on 

 a mixture of ethylene and hydrocyanic acid gives propio- 

 nitrile^^^ 



C2H4 + HCN->C2H5CN 



If acetylene is substituted for ethylene the isonitrile and 

 succinodinitrile are formed" - 



2HCN + CoHo-^NC.CHa.CHs.CN 



When mixed with ammonia in silent discharges ethylene 

 gives ethylamine 



C2H4 + NHs-^CaH^NH, 



According to the evidence of S. M. Losanitsch,"^ when 

 ammonia reacts with ethylene, acetylene, benzene and other 

 hydrocarbons one obtains a large amount of various compli- 

 cated nitrogen-containing compounds of very high molecular 

 weight. 



From our point of view the formation of amino acids 

 under these conditions is of special interest, as they are the 

 fundamental components in the structure of protein-like 

 substances. 



Recently the follo^ving experiment, based on the evidence 

 now available as to the composition of the atmosphere of 

 the primaeval Earth, was carried out by S. L. Miller."^ He 

 used apparatus specially constructed for the purpose and 

 passed silent electric discharges through a mixture of 

 methane, ammonia, hydrogen and water vapour and ob- 

 tained a number of amino acids — glycine, dl -alanine, /3- 

 alanine, sarcosine, DL-a-aminobutyric and a-aminowobutyric 

 acids. A considerable amount of other amino acids which 

 have not yet been identified was also shown to be present. 

 As well as these, glycolic, lactic, formic, acetic and propionic 

 acids were found. A considerable amount of hydrocyanic 

 acid and aldehydes was also present and these seem to have 

 been produced directly by the action of the discharges. 



According to Miller there are two possible explanations 



