3 ms·

The following is some related reading on "Tholins" along with the history of the term. The CBC.ca article is sparse on details, and it seems the "Science" paper

• pmalynin 11y ago
  http://sci-hub.org/downloads/4ac7/10.1126@science.aab0689.pdf http://sci-hub.org/downloads/4ac7/10.1126@science.aab0689.pd...
  • throwaway_yy2Di 11y ago
    That's the one! Thank you! (And shame on you, silly ESA, for allowing your publicly-funded science to be locked away by a third party). There's some fascinating, very suggestive CNOH compounds in that list. Here's what the last paragraph says about them: CH2OHCHO [glycolaldehyde] is an efficient initiator in the prebiotic formation of sugars (21). HCN [hydrogen cyanide] is a key molecule in the prebiotic synthesis of amino acids (21, 22) and nucleobases (21) and even offers an elegant pathway to sugars (23). HCONH2 [formamide] provides a prebiotic route to nucleobases (24). HCONH2 (24) and CH3CONH2 [acetamide] (21) catalyze phosphorylation of nucleosides to nucleotides, in which amines also play a role (21). Isocyanates play a major role in the prebiotic synthesis of peptides, through the so-called isocyanate route (22). The complexity of cometary nucleus chemistry and the importance of N-containing organics imply that early solar system chemistry fosters the formation of prebiotic material in noticeable concentrations.