Scientists created precursors to RNA , proteins and lipids in basic reactions . Their tests used hydrogen cyanide , hydrogen sulphide and ultraviolet light . These chemicals would have been plentiful on the Earth 4 billion today . Hydrogen cyanide would have been created by meteorite debris reacting with the nitrogen in the Earth 's atmosphere during repeated space impacts . Hydrogen sulphide gas was probably thrown out by erupting volcanoes . The research was conducted by chemists at the Medical Research Council 's Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge .
Scientists created precursors to RNA , proteins and lipids in basic reactions . Their tests used hydrogen cyanide , hydrogen sulphide and ultraviolet light . These chemicals would have been plentiful on the Earth 4 billion years ago . Hydrogen cyanide would have been created by meteorite debris reacting with the nitrogen in the Earth 's atmosphere during repeated space impacts . Hydrogen sulphide gas was probably thrown out by erupting volcanoes . The research was conducted by chemists at the Medical Research Council 's Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge .