• Question: Are there any life form that isn't carbon-based? Would it be possible to make silicon-based organisms?

    Asked by Zealousy to Josh on 24 Jun 2015.
    • Photo: Josh Meyers

      Josh Meyers answered on 24 Jun 2015:

      At the moment, all known life is carbon-based. That is why the carbon-containing branch of Chemistry is called Organic Chemistry.

      Silicon has been suggested to be able to support life because silicon is below carbon in the periodic table and therefore has similar chemical properties. Silicon needs 4 bonds, like carbon, and forms similar bonds.

      However, Carbon is much smaller and forms much stronger chemical bonds than silicon. So I’m not sure that silicon based life is likely…

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