PREBIOTIC FORMATION OF HIGHER MOLECULAR WEIGHT COMPOUNDS FROM THE PHOTOLYSIS OF AQUEOUS ACETIC ACID

Abstract
In the study of chemical evolution, experiments simulating primitive earth conditions have shown that many compounds of biological significance can be produced from simple precursors. In an attempt to search for the origin of polycarboxylic acids, the UV irradiation of aqueous acetic acid was performed. Among the products detected were succinic, citric and malonic acids which are key compounds in metabolic pathways, suggesting that these compounds might have been formed on the primitive Earth prior to life itself.

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