Are non-carbon based life forms possible? Why or why not? Give at least 2 reason to support your answer.
I don't believe non carbon based life forms are possible because carbon has certain characteristics that no other elements have, such as 4 valence electrons, which allows it to bond with other elements such as oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen. Also, proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and fats are all carbon based molecules that are necessary in life. On top of that, carbon is the only element that can form long chains and rings that are the base for organic compounds, which after a certain level can replicate by itself, unlike all other elements. Many people (scientists) believe that if there will ever be life somewhere besides earth, it will be carbon based. Silicon has been considered to be the next element that could possibly support life, but it still lacks many characteristics that are needed for life processes.
And (in MY opinion) if there are ever non carbon based life forms somewhere it will be a VERY VERY long time from now. (Do aliens exist? Possibly, but we might never know...)
info from:
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon-based_life
-http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/980221b.html
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