Laboratory Experiments with Pure Samples of Either the D- or L-Isomer

question 172

Multiple Choice

Laboratory experiments with pure samples of either the d- or l-isomer of the amino acid aspartic acid show that these samples slowly change to an equilibrium mixture of both optical isomers.The rate of change is extremely slow, requiring a few million years to billions of years to complete, depending on temperature and availability of water.If scientists wanted to locate amino acids as evidence of past life on the planet Mars, what region would be best to study, given that any life on Mars may have gone extinct early in its history?

• A) Any region
• B) Areas likely covered with liquid water in the past
• C) Areas of volcanic activity
• D) Polar ice regions
• E) Impact craters

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