FURTHER OBSERVATIONS ON THE PROPERTIES OF THE 

 "ORGANIZED ELEMENTS" IN CARBONACEOUS 



CHONDRITES 



George Claus 



New York University, Medical Center, Neii< York 16, N.Y. 



Bartholomew Nagy 

 Department oj Chemistry, Fordham University, New York 58, N.Y. 



Dominic L. Europa 



Department of Pathology, BeUeviie Hospital, New York 16, N.Y. 



Independent studies, conducted at various laboratories, indicate that the 

 "organized elements" do not seem to be terrestrial contaminants. This 

 evaluation is based mainly upon a consideration of fine morphological criteria. 

 New experiments with biological stains revealed that the organic microstruc- 

 tures in carbonaceous meteorites may selectively take stains in the presence 

 of mineral matter. 



Claus and Nagy (1961, 1962) and Nagy el al. (1962), described organic 

 microstructures that were found embedded in some of the indigenous minerals 

 of certain carbonaceous meteorites. These findings have been confirmed, or 

 partially confirmed by independent investigators. Reimer (1961), Staplin 

 (1962), Palik (1962, 1963), Cholnoky (1962)," and Skuja (1962) examined the 

 same meteorite sample as did Claus and Nagy (1961, 1962). Briggs and Kitto 

 (1962) described what they thought to be indigenous, stainable microstructures 

 in the Mokoia meteorite. However, the last two authors were unable to reach 

 a conclusion regarding the origin of these particles. Ross (1962) examined 

 another sample of the Orgueil meteorite, from the collection of the British 

 Museum, and found microstructures which he believed were of biological origin 

 and which were most likely indigenous to the meteorite. Recently, Engels 

 (1962) isolated HF-resistant pellicles from another sample of the Orgueil me- 

 teorite. Timofeev (1962) found fossilized and indigenous microflora in the 

 Mighei carbonaceous chondrite. The microscopical preparations of Claus 

 and Nagy have been examined by approximately 100 microbiologists including 

 Erdtman, Bourrelly, Papp, Deflandre, Palmer, Durham, Dienes, and Gregory. 

 Tentative but divergent identifications were offered by some of these inves- 

 tigators. 



Fitch and Anders (1963) argued that the organized elements were silicate 

 mineral grains, opaque mineral particles, hydrocarbon globules, coacervates, 

 Fox (1961) spheroids, sulfur droplets, pollens, and starch grains or spores, or 

 other unknown terrestrial contaminants. Deflandre (1962) stated that the 

 organized elements are unspecified terrestrial contaminants or artifacts (except 

 those which are embedded in minerals). Urey (1962a) reviewed the available 

 information and suggested that the organized elements may indicate, but they 

 cannot yet be regarded as conclusive proof for the existence of extraterrestrial 

 life. 



Other experimental information which may suggest the presence of extra- 



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