  Abundance patterns of the elements C, N, and O are sensitive probes of
stellar nucleosynthesis processes and, in addition, O abundances are an
important input for stellar age determinations. Understanding the nature of the
observed distribution of these elements is key to constraining protogalactic
star formation history. Patterns deduced from low-resolution spectroscopy of
the CN, CH, NH, and CO molecules for low-mass stars in their core-hydrogen or
first shell-hydrogen burning phases in the oldest ensembles known, the Galactic
globular star clusters, are reviewed. New results for faint stars in NGC 104
(47 Tuc, C0021-723) reveal that the bimodal, anticorrelated pattern of CN and
CH strengths found among luminous evolved stars is also present in stars
nearing the end of their main-sequence lifetimes. In the absence of known
mechanisms to mix newly synthesized elements from the interior to the
observable surface layers of such unevolved stars, those particular
inhomogeneities imply that the original material from which the stars formed
some 15 billion years ago was chemically inhomogeneous in the C and N elements.
However, in other clusters, observations of abundance ratios and C isotope
ratios suggest that alterations to surface chemical compositions are produced
as stars evolve from the main sequence through the red giant branch. Thus, the
current observed distributions of C, N, and O among the brightest stars (those
also observed most often) may not reflect the true distribution from which the
protocluster cloud formed. The picture which is emerging of the C, N and O
abundance patterns within globular clusters may be one which
