1) The history of silicon-based life in science-fiction and science.
2) Why is silicon proposed as an alternative to carbon-based life?
Quite simply silicon is proposed as an alternative to carbon-based life because it can form many molecular bonds like carbon can. Once you have the formation of complex molecules this allows for complex chemical pathways like we seen in living cells. With out the ability to form many different chemicals cells would not be able to have so many complexities and therefore not function as they do.
3)What are the special properties of carbon, especially in terms of molecular structures, that make it the basis of our form of life? What is required chemically for life?
Carbon’s number one special ability is forming long chains of itself through single covalent bonds. These chains are the back bone of virtually all organic chemicals required for cell pathways to function. The second important feature carbon has is the ability to then bond with other atoms as well. This allows of various chemicals to be based off of carbon chains and then have various functions within a cell based on the rest of its chemical makeup. This ability to form complex chemicals makes it the basis for life. One thing common to all known life is DNA which as most know is a long chain of information. The back bone of that DNA chain is carbon.
4)Does silicon have the properties as described in (3)?
In a single word… No. Silicon can only form chains with a double covalent bond and this chain only becomes stable as it bends in on itself not allowing for the long formations we see in many organic chemicals. Also, since silicon requires double bond to form a chain that does not allow for the addition of as many other atoms on the base chain. In terms of known carbon-based life silicon does not have the physical properties to for structures like DNA chains or organic molecules requires for cell processes.
5) If silicon does not have the properties as described in (3), does the lack of these properties pose a unsolvable problem for silicon as the basis of life? If not, what are possible solutions to this problem?
Without the ability to form long chains as carbon does silicon does not have the key properties required to form complex organic chemicals. This is an unsolvable problem for silicon based life since the issues is the very nature of silicon’s interaction with other atoms.
The only possible solution is that there is a yet known method to change the nature of silicon bonding. This however would require and extreme change in our concept of chemistry.
6) What is the best environment for silicon-based life, keeping in mind (5)?
Well, given the information above, the best environment for silicon based life would be one yet unknown to humans. It would require chemical reactions we do not see on earth or know to exist. The best possible environment would be one where the very laws of chemistry are different from our universe, but this is going outside the scope of the project as we are interested in the possibility of silicon-based life here.
7) Does the environment described in (6) possible? If so, is it possible in our solar system?
Since it is an environment not known to humans, the answer, for now, is no. However since we do not yet have firm information about the environments within the Gas Giants or the region of our solar system beyond them, it may be possible, but for the time being there is no indication for such an environment.
8) Is there a possibility of silicon-based life that is totally different from life as we know it?
Any silicon-based life would have to be significantly different from life as we know it. There is no basis for such life and therefore resides in the realm of speculation.
1) The history of silicon-based life in science-fiction and science.
2) Why is silicon proposed as an alternative to carbon-based life?
Quite simply silicon is proposed as an alternative to carbon-based life because it can form many molecular bonds like carbon can. Once you have the formation of complex molecules this allows for complex chemical pathways like we seen in living cells. With out the ability to form many different chemicals cells would not be able to have so many complexities and therefore not function as they do.
3)What are the special properties of carbon, especially in terms of molecular structures, that make it the basis of our form of life? What is required chemically for life?
Carbon’s number one special ability is forming long chains of itself through single covalent bonds. These chains are the back bone of virtually all organic chemicals required for cell pathways to function. The second important feature carbon has is the ability to then bond with other atoms as well. This allows of various chemicals to be based off of carbon chains and then have various functions within a cell based on the rest of its chemical makeup. This ability to form complex chemicals makes it the basis for life. One thing common to all known life is DNA which as most know is a long chain of information. The back bone of that DNA chain is carbon.
4)Does silicon have the properties as described in (3)?
In a single word… No. Silicon can only form chains with a double covalent bond and this chain only becomes stable as it bends in on itself not allowing for the long formations we see in many organic chemicals. Also, since silicon requires double bond to form a chain that does not allow for the addition of as many other atoms on the base chain. In terms of known carbon-based life silicon does not have the physical properties to for structures like DNA chains or organic molecules requires for cell processes.
5) If silicon does not have the properties as described in (3), does the lack of these properties pose a unsolvable problem for silicon as the basis of life? If not, what are possible solutions to this problem?
Without the ability to form long chains as carbon does silicon does not have the key properties required to form complex organic chemicals. This is an unsolvable problem for silicon based life since the issues is the very nature of silicon’s interaction with other atoms.
The only possible solution is that there is a yet known method to change the nature of silicon bonding. This however would require and extreme change in our concept of chemistry.
6) What is the best environment for silicon-based life, keeping in mind (5)?
Well, given the information above, the best environment for silicon based life would be one yet unknown to humans. It would require chemical reactions we do not see on earth or know to exist. The best possible environment would be one where the very laws of chemistry are different from our universe, but this is going outside the scope of the project as we are interested in the possibility of silicon-based life here.
7) Does the environment described in (6) possible? If so, is it possible in our solar system?
Since it is an environment not known to humans, the answer, for now, is no. However since we do not yet have firm information about the environments within the Gas Giants or the region of our solar system beyond them, it may be possible, but for the time being there is no indication for such an environment.
8) Is there a possibility of silicon-based life that is totally different from life as we know it?
Any silicon-based life would have to be significantly different from life as we know it. There is no basis for such life and therefore resides in the realm of speculation.