Organic compounds in chimneys and water sampled from deep-sea hydrothermal systems: Implications for the subterranean biosphere

Abstract

Since the discovery of submarine hydrothermal systems (SHS) in the late 1970's, deep-sea hydrothermal systems have been proposed to be plausible environments for chemical evolution and origins of life on Earth. Bioorganics, especially amino acids are common components of all organisms and constituents a major fractions of organisms. We present the results of analysis of organic compounds including amino acids in hydrothermal water samples and chimneys directly collected from deep-sea hydrothermal systems.