ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the organic content of carbonaceous meteorites, which together with comets and interplanetary dust particles (IDPs), provided a source of prebiotic molecules necessary for the first living organisms on our planet. The chapter describes the overall classification of meteorites, with emphasis on carbonaceous chondrites, as these are the most primitive meteorites and have relatively high carbon content. It also summarizes the chemical reactions that occurred in the interstellar medium, outer solar system, and/or parent body that may have influenced the abundance and distribution of the meteoritic organic content. The chapter reports on the solvent-insoluble organic matter (IOM) and on the extensive list of solvent-soluble organic compounds present in several carbonaceous meteorite samples analyzed by different groups. Measurements of the compound-specific carbon, hydrogen, or nitrogen isotopic compositions are outlined as a way of establishing the origin of the organic compounds detected in carbonaceous chondrites.
