Do all life forms have to be carbon based?

Yes, all known life forms are carbon based. The reason being that carbon is able to form large macro-molecules that are the “building blocks” of life. The only other element that approaches carbon in this respect is silicon, and silicon is able to only build much shorter molecular chains than carbon.

Does Silicon behave like carbon?

Silicon has the same number of electrons in its outer shell, meaning that it can form four bonds just like carbon. It is also very abundant, comprising much of the rock that is beneath your feet. Silicon can bind readily to itself to make Si-Si bonds just like carbon can make C-C bonds.

Why can silicon form as many carbon compounds?

Silicon has 4 covalent bonds exactly like carbon because it’s in the same column of the periodic table of elements. There are many direct chemical analogs between silicon and carbon because of this fact. They are both in group 14 of the periodic table of the elements.

Is silicon-based life possible?

So, the answer, at least for now, is no – although silicon can sometimes be used biologically as a sort of structural support (and there are some examples claiming silicon as an essential trace element) for carbon-based life – silicon-based life itself does not exist, as far as we know, because of the chemical and …

Could silicon-based life ever exist within the universe?

Could silicon-based life ever exist within the universe? Yes, although it is unlikely given the interaction between silicon and oxygen. Yes, as silicon is in the same family as carbon and these elements have similar properties.

Could there be silicon-based life?

What are silicon-based life forms?

Scientists have long known that life on Earth is capable of chemically manipulating silicon. For instance, microscopic particles of silicon dioxide called phytoliths can be found in grasses and other plants, and photosynthetic algae known as diatoms incorporate silicon dioxide into their skeletons.

How much silicon is there on earth?

Silicon makes up 27.7 percent of Earth’s crust; it is the second most abundant element in the crust, being surpassed only by oxygen.

How do silicon compounds differ from carbon compounds?

The key difference between silicon and carbon is that the carbon is a nonmetal whereas the silicon is a metalloid. Carbon and silicon, both are in the same group (group 14) of the periodic table. Hence, they have four electrons in the outer energy level.

Does silicon bond with carbon?

Silicon is the second most abundant element in Earth’s crust, but it doesn’t naturally bond to carbon. That means manufacturers must turn to artificial methods to make compounds combining the two, which are called organosilicons and feature in materials including adhesives and silicone coatings.

What do silicon and carbon have in common?

Both carbon and silicon commonly form compounds, easily sharing electrons with other elements. Carbon will make multiple bonds with other carbon molecules by forming single, double and triple covalent bonds. Carbon and silicon are often combined, with carbon serving as silicon’s backbone.

Could aliens use silicon instead of carbon to create molecules?

And instead of relying on carbon to create the molecules of life, perhaps aliens could use silicon. Carbon and silicon are chemically very similar in that silicon atoms can also each form bonds with up to four other atoms simultaneously.

Why is life on Earth based on carbon instead of silicon?

It remains an open question why life on Earth is based on carbon when silicon is more prevalent in Earth’s crust. Previous research suggests that compared to carbon, silicon can form chemical bonds with fewer kinds of atoms, and it often forms less complex kinds of molecular structures with the atoms that it can interact with.

What would aliens use instead of water to create life?

For example, instead of relying on water as the solvent in which biological molecules operate, perhaps aliens might depend on ammonia or methane. And instead of relying on carbon to create the molecules of life, perhaps aliens could use silicon.

Is there life on silicon-based worlds?

Lei Chen and Yan Liang (BeautyOfScience.com) / Caltech Science fiction has long imagined alien worlds inhabited by silicon-based life, such as the rock-eating Horta from the original Star Trek series.