Evening star., 1951-10-19
Clue to Life's Oriqin
Comes From CycIotron
orgonic Molecules Formed
By AIpho Bombordment
By Thomos R. Henry

y Htphu commencement
By Thomos R. Henry
A clue to the origin Of life on earth
perhaps In all Creation-come from
experiments sponsored by the Atomic
Energy Commission at the University Of
California.
There bombardment Of q solution Of
carbon dioxide In water with alpha
particles from the university's cyclotron
has resulted in the formation Of organic
molecules combining carbon. oxygen
ana hydrogen-a necessary frst step
toward living systems.
The experiments were reported today
to the American Association for the
Advancement Of Science by DR.. w. M.
Garrison and his associates Of the
Berkeley Radiation Laboratory. Specifi-
cally, they were able to create formic
acid and formaldehyde. These are about
the simplest Of all organic substances.
At Bottom Of Life's Scale.
The same thing could have happened.
they believe, a billion or more years
ago through bombardment Of the earth's
atmosphere by heavy particles Of the
same sort in cosmic rays. They are at
the very bottom Of the scale Of life.
Further tests are proposed to find
whether atoms Of nitrogen also can be
combined In these molecules by radia-
ton. thus creating the more complex
molecules which are largely the build
Ing stones Of living things.
Up to now ltfe's origins have been q
complete mystery. It has been assumed
that the complexity Of elemental atoms
necessary for the formation Of living
cell just fell together somehow, prob
ably in the primeval sea and purely by
chance. Some have said that this
chance would be so rare that the COM
bination could not have happened
often in the universe and that the earth
itself might well be the only abode of
Life. Others have speculated that life
may have come here from somewhere
else. perhaps in the countless meteorites
which fan constantly on the planet. So
lar as Is positively known life exists
only on earth, although In the past few
years 1t has become almost certain that
low order Of life also is to be found ON
Mars.
Mechanistic Beginning.
The University Of California work
would suggest purely mechanistic be-
ginning of the life phenomena, but the
progress from an organic molecule to
even the most primitive form of life
known to man would be enormous. This
is true even of supposedly living things
like f1lterable viruses, responsible for
hundreds Of animal and plant diseases.
which are only the size of large mole
cules. although vastly larger than the
simple substances created by the bonn
bardment. The three elements COM
olned conceivably were mingled in the
ancient atmosphere Of the planet.
Life can be presumed to have orig
mated at least billion years ago, when
the earth already had been in existence
one or two billion years. The first
actual fossils Of animals date back only
about half-billion years. but there
are evidences that life was present far
earlier and the known creatures are so
complex that they obviously represent
a very long period Of progress from the
beginning.
The University of California workers
used carbon dioxide labeled with the
radioactive carbon IA, such as is created
out OF nitrogen by cosmic ray lombard
ment OF the earth'S upper atmosphere
and which has proven an invaluable
tool in all sorts Of biological investiga-
tions; and they employed a method
which was sensitive to one part in q
million. ~ 81
Production Is Minute.
The amounts of formic acid and
formaldehyde produced were extremely
minute. but easily detachable; and other
means by which they might have been
produced were eliminated.
1.-The question of the conditions un-
der which living matter originated ON
the surface Of the earth" DR.. Garrison
and his colleagues say in their report,
just published in Science, official organ
OF the American Association, sis still a
subject limited largely to speculation.
One Of the purposes Of the observa-
ton reported here is to add another
fact that might have some bearing on
this interesting question.
One OF the most popular current
conceptions is that life originated in an
organic milieu (chance mixture Of ele.
ments entering into the chemical struc-
ea4C VI PAOtOPldSlu.I % pTOQl6m
which we are addressed is the origin Of
that organic milieu in the absence of
life.
One Fourth Reduced.
Examination demonstrates unequivo-
cably that it is quite possible to reduce
appreciable quantities of carbon dioxide
to formic acid by means of water
through the agency of radiation In
fact. it appears that approximately one
fourth of the dissolved carbon dioxide
was reduced. Whether formic acid is
further reduced to formaldehyde or
whether the formaldehyde has its
origin in direct reduction Of carbon
dioxide remains to be demonstrated.
whether carbon-carbon bonds and
carbon nitrogen bonds can be formed
and more highly organized structures
created under the influence of hlgn
energy radiations is at present under
investigation"