Biomaterial Database

On the ability of the Viking gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer to detect organic matter. 2007

Klaus Biemann

Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. kbiemann@mit.edu

A recent paper by Navarro-Gonzalez et al. [Navarro-Gonzalez R, Navarro KF, de la Rosa J, Iniguez E, Molina P, Miranda LD, Morales P, Cienfuegos E, Coll P, Raulin F, et al. (2006) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 103:16089-16094] claims to show that the Viking GCMS (gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer) experiment, which carried out a search for organic matter at the surface of Mars in 1976, "may have been blind to low levels of organics." To rebut this assertion, the Viking experiment, test data, and results on Mars are reviewed, and the fallacies in the design, execution, and interpretation of the new experiments presented by Navarro-Gonzalez et al. are critically examined.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008401	Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry	A microanalytical technique combining mass spectrometry and gas chromatography for the qualitative as well as quantitative determinations of compounds.	Chromatography, Gas-Liquid-Mass Spectrometry,Chromatography, Gas-Mass Spectrometry,GCMS,Spectrometry, Mass-Gas Chromatography,Spectrum Analysis, Mass-Gas Chromatography,Gas-Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry,Mass Spectrometry-Gas Chromatography,Chromatography, Gas Liquid Mass Spectrometry,Chromatography, Gas Mass Spectrometry,Chromatography, Mass Spectrometry-Gas,Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Gas,Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Gas-Liquid,Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry,Gas Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry,Mass Spectrometry Gas Chromatography,Spectrometries, Mass-Gas Chromatography,Spectrometry, Gas Chromatography-Mass,Spectrometry, Gas-Liquid Chromatography-Mass,Spectrometry, Mass Gas Chromatography,Spectrometry-Gas Chromatography, Mass,Spectrum Analysis, Mass Gas Chromatography
D009930	Organic Chemicals	A broad class of substances containing carbon and its derivatives. Many of these chemicals will frequently contain hydrogen with or without oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, and other elements. They exist in either carbon chain or carbon ring form.	Organic Chemical,Chemical, Organic,Chemicals, Organic
D005118	Extraterrestrial Environment	The environment outside the earth or its atmosphere. The environment may refer to a closed cabin (such as a space shuttle or space station) or to space itself, the moon, or other planets.	Space (Astronomy),Environment, Extraterrestrial,Environments, Extraterrestrial,Extraterrestrial Environments,Spaces (Astronomy)
D012987	Soil	The unconsolidated mineral or organic matter on the surface of the earth that serves as a natural medium for the growth of land plants.	Peat,Humus,Soils
D013026	Space Flight	Travel beyond the earth's atmosphere.	Space Exploration,Space Travel,Spaceflight,Exploration, Space,Explorations, Space,Flight, Space,Flights, Space,Space Explorations,Space Flights,Space Travels,Spaceflights,Travel, Space,Travels, Space