What key outcome did the Miller-Urey experiment demonstrate?

The Miller-Urey experiment, conducted in 1953, is a landmark study that demonstrated how organic compounds vital for life could be synthesized from inorganic precursors under conditions thought to resemble those of the early Earth. By using a mixture of simple molecules—such as methane, ammonia, hydrogen, and water vapor—and exposing them to electrical sparks to simulate lightning, the experiment successfully produced amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.

This key outcome supports the idea that organic compounds can be formed abiotically, meaning they can arise from non-living chemical processes. This finding has significant implications for our understanding of the origins of life and suggests that under certain conditions, the basic components necessary for life could potentially emerge without biological intervention. The experiment thus provides insight into the possible pathways for the origins of life on Earth and elsewhere in the universe.