Classics in space medicine. Examination of "organized elements" from the Orgueil meteorite by quantitative fluorescence microscopy.

The organized elements of the Orgueil Meteorite were examined by quantitative fluorescence microscopy. An effort was made to correlate possible morphology with the presence of the amino acid, tyrosine. Relative tyrosine levels were determined by the formation of fluorescent complexes between the tyrosine presem and 1-NITROS O 2-NAPHTHOL. The fluorescence levels produced by the tyrosine-nitroso napthol complexes from lab cultures of microorganisms, microorganisms from peat, and the organized elements of meteorites were compared and used as an index of relative tyrosine content.