Prebiotic Synthesis of Methionine

Abstract
Methionine has been shown to be a product of the action of a spark discharge on a simulated primitive earth atmosphere containing CH4, N2, NH3, H2O, and H2S or CH3SH. Acrolein has also been shown to be a product of the discharge and is proposed as an intermediate in the prebiotic synthesis of methionine and of glutamic acid, homocysteine, homoserine, and α,γ-diaminobutyric acid.