title: Organic matter in carbonaceous meteorites: past, present and future research.
abstract: Carbonaceous meteorites are fragments of ancient asteroids that have remained relatively unprocessed since the formation of the Solar System. These carbon-rich objects provide a record of prebiotic chemical evolution and a window on the early Solar System. Many compound classes are present reflecting a rich organic chemical environment during the formation of the planets. Recent theories suggest that similar extraterrestrial organic mixtures may have acted as the starting materials for life on Earth.
authors.affiliation: Impacts and Astromaterials Research Centre (IARC), South Kensington Campus, Imperial College Department of Earth Science and Engineering London SW7 2AZ, UK. m.a.sephton@imperial.ac.uk
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sephton
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D018534:Earth, Planet; D019418:Evolution, Chemical; D019419:Evolution, Planetary; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D005544:Forecasting; D005844:Geology / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D019110:Meteoroids; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000737:chemistry*; D012106:Research / Q000639:trends*; D016082:Solar System
chemical_list: D009930:Organic Chemicals; D002244:Carbon