How did the Miller-Urey experiment contribute to our understanding of the origin of life?

The Miller-Urey experiment significantly advanced our understanding of the origin of life by demonstrating that organic compounds could form under prebiotic conditions. Conducted in 1953 by Stanley Miller and Harold Urey, the experiment simulated the presumed atmosphere of early Earth—comprised of methane, ammonia, hydrogen, and water vapor—by using electrical sparks to mimic lightning, which was believed to provide energy for chemical reactions.

The results showed that amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins, could be synthesized from these simple inorganic molecules. This finding gave credence to the idea that the essential components of life could form spontaneously under the right environmental conditions, thereby supporting theories about the abiotic origin of organic molecules before the emergence of life.

The experiment did not disprove the theory of evolution, nor did it identify any specific living organisms or directly support the RNA world hypothesis, though it laid foundational support for these concepts by illustrating how vital biomolecules could arise from non-living matter. Thus, it played a crucial role in shaping our understanding of how life might have begun on Earth.