Hydrogen Cyanide and the Origin

Hydrogen Cyanide seem to be a key ingredient in origin scenarios

"When hydrogen cyanide condenses under the conditions described... 
for the syunthesis or amino acids, it also yields purines and pyrimidines."

If we need hydrogen cyanide then that is a clue to the 
history of the origin of life.
In order for life to begin the conditions must have been right for
making and accumlating HCN.


"The concentration of cyanide may have existed shortly after
the oceans first formed, when their volume was low and the amount
of hydrogen cyanide was high owing to a high rate of impact of
comets and meteorites. The HCN may have been concentrated in
certain areas as a result of a high frequency of electrical storms."

This would suggest the origin came at the earlier and hotter 
period of the earth.

Also note that" HCN is more volatile than water, a concentration
mechanism based on the evaporation to near dryness of a lake
that contains small amounts of HCN wold not give concentrated
cyanide solutions."

quotes from Zubay's Biochemistry.

Tom