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Life on Earth
Chemistry of life on Earth
-organic
-Carbon based
-water used as solvent
-from water come hydrogen bonds, which give
structural stability to large biomolecules (proteins,
nucleic acids)
-other biologically important atoms hydrogen,
nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur
http://www.chemicalelements.com/elements/c.html
Periodic Table
http://www.chemicalelements.com/elements/c.html
Why Silicon?
Similar chemical properties to Carbon
-Same number of electrons in the outer
shell
-Four bonding sites
-can form complex molecules
-Both can form longs chains or polymers
Most likely element as a alternative to carbon
History
1891 Julius Scheiner
-Astrophysicist at the University of Potsdam
-First to theorize about possibility of life based on silicon
-Thought Mercury, Venus, and Mars must contain life
-Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus might contain life
1983 James Emerson Reynolds
-pointed out that the heat stability of silicon compounds might allow life to exist at very
high temperatures
1929 John Haldane
-suggested that life might be found deep inside a planet based on partly molten silicate
-silicate = type of rock that consists of silicon and oxygen
-Forms most of any terrestrial planets crust
http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/H/Haldane.html
Example
Horta
-Star Trek
-can move
through rock
as easily as
humans move
through air
-lay eggs
Example
Aliens
Example
Lithovore
-resemble a crystal robotic
insect
-consume crystalline
vegetation
-live under very dense and
thick atmosphere
-life based on electric energy
generated by an internal
reactor
-lives underground
http://brattahlid.tripod.com/sw3-82web.htm
Example
Artificial Intelligence
Robots
-can process abstract
thoughts and ideas
Are they alive??
Earths Core??
-could explain the formation
of deeply buried oil, gas
and mineral deposits
-lived in ancient times ??
http://www.thetech.org/exhibits_events/online/quakes/inside/images/corecore.gif