Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Preparation of Authigenic Pyrite from Methane-bearing Sediments for In Situ Sulfur Isotope Analysis Using SIMS
09:31

Preparation of Authigenic Pyrite from Methane-bearing Sediments for In Situ Sulfur Isotope Analysis Using SIMS

Published on: August 31, 2017

Early Solar System aqueous activity: Sr isotope evidence from the Orgueil CI meteorite

J D Macdougall1, G W Lugmair, J F Kerridge

  • 1Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093, USA.

Nature
|January 19, 1984
PubMed

More Related Videos

Scattering And Absorption of Light in Planetary Regoliths11:34

Scattering And Absorption of Light in Planetary Regoliths

Published on: July 1, 2019

Simulation of Early Earth Hydrothermal Chimneys in a Thermal Gradient Environment06:29

Simulation of Early Earth Hydrothermal Chimneys in a Thermal Gradient Environment

Published on: February 27, 2021

Related Concept Videos

Conditions on Early Earth02:06

Conditions on Early Earth

Around 4 billion years ago, oceans began to condense on earth while volcanic eruptions released nitrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia, and hydrogen into the primordial atmosphere. However, organisms with the characteristics of life were not initially present on earth. Scientists have used experimentation to determine how organisms evolved that could grow, reproduce, and maintain an internal environment.
Atomic Mass01:52

Atomic Mass

Atoms — and the protons, neutrons, and electrons that compose them — are extremely small. For example, a carbon atom weighs less than 2 × 10−23 g. When describing the properties of tiny objects such as atoms, we use appropriately small units of measure, such as the atomic mass unit (amu). The amu was originally defined based on hydrogen, the lightest element, then later in terms of oxygen. Since 1961, it has been defined with regard to the most abundant isotope of carbon, atoms of which are...
Conditions on Early Earth02:06

Conditions on Early Earth

Around 4 billion years ago, oceans began to condense on earth while volcanic eruptions released nitrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia, and hydrogen into the primordial atmosphere. However, organisms with the characteristics of life were not initially present on earth. Scientists have used experimentation to determine how organisms evolved that could grow, reproduce, and maintain an internal environment.
Sulfur Assimilation01:20

Sulfur Assimilation

Sulfur is an essential element in biological systems, contributing to synthesizing key biomolecules, including amino acids such as cysteine and methionine, and cofactors such as coenzyme A and biotin. Microorganisms primarily assimilate sulfur as sulfate (SO₄²⁻) from the environment, which must undergo a series of biochemical transformations before it can be incorporated into cellular components. As sulfate is highly oxidized, it must undergo assimilatory sulfate reduction to become...
Origin of Cellular Life01:24

Origin of Cellular Life

The origin of life on Earth is a complex and enigmatic event rooted in ancient biochemical processes and geological conditions. Experimental evidence supports the hypothesis that life began with the spontaneous formation of organic molecules such as RNA nucleotides, amino acids, and lipids under early Earth conditions. Factors like volcanic activity, intense UV radiation, and a reducing atmosphere without free oxygen likely facilitated these reactions. Hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor are...
Origin of Photosynthesis01:26

Origin of Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis represents a fundamental biological process that transformed Earth's atmosphere and paved the way for complex life. Emerging roughly 3.4–3.8 billion years ago, the earliest photosynthetic organisms harnessed light energy to produce organic compounds. These anoxygenic phototrophs used electron donors like hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) or ferrous iron (Fe²⁺), rather than water, and did not release molecular oxygen (O₂) as a byproduct. Various groups, including green sulfur and purple...