The results of the Miller–Urey experiment helped us to understand what the necessary conditions are for life to occur. Scientists believe that there are four conditions needed for life to emerge and persist:

1. Simple organic molecules, such as amino acids, fatty acids and carbohydrates, must be formed.

2. Larger organic molecules, such as phospholipids, RNA and DNA, must be assembled from simpler molecules.

3. Organisms reproduce, so replication of nucleic acids must be possible.

4. Biochemical reactions require set conditions, such as pH. Therefore, self-contained structures, such as membranes, are necessary.

She also noted that mitochondria and chloroplasts have ribosomes whose size and structure closely resemble those of bacteria. 

In addition, she found that mitochondria and chloroplasts, like bacteria, reproduce by binary fission when cells containing them divide by mitosis. 

These similarities provide strong evidence of a common ancestry between free-living bacteria and the organelles of living eukaryotic cells.