Is it possible to have silicon based life?
Is it possible to have silicon based life?
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 …
Can organisms be made of silicon?
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.
Why is silicon based life unlikely?
Reasons why Silicon is not used as the base of life are: – Reactions of Silicon are much slower than reactions of Carbon. – Bonds between Si and Si or between Si and H are not as stable as the bond between Si and O. – Molecules based on Si and H are not very stable in presence of water.
Is metal based life possible?
Previously, scientists have believed that life could form from other elements (namely silicon), but now we have some evidence to support this hypothesis. Lee Cronin at the University of Glasgow has successfully created lifelike cells out of metal, such as tungsten (atomic number of 74).
Can bacteria live on silicon?
Now chemical engineers have discovered that living organisms can be nudged to bind carbon and silicon together. They showed that a natural enzyme from a bacterium that lives in hot springs can form C–Si bonds inside living Escherichia coli cells — when the cells are fed the right silicon-containing compounds.
Is tungsten based life possible?
Can we create organic life?
The research is part of a project by Prof Cronin to demonstrate that inorganic chemical compounds are capable of self-replicating and evolving — just as organic, biological carbon-based cells do. The research into creating ‘inorganic life’ is in its earliest stages, but Prof Cronin believes it is entirely feasible.
Is there such thing as silicon-based life?
There’s also a great Marvel character, the Sandman, who can transform into glass and back, and can manipulate the earth – a marvellous ability. But, the short answer is that silicon-based life is probably restricted to the realms of Sci-Fi. The idea appears to be broadly based on silicon’s apparent similarity to carbon.
Can a silicon-based life form release energy?
However, the overall summary of all this is that energy-release from a hypothetical silicon-based life form is a massively problematical theoretical issue, which one would think would preclude the life form itself existing.
What do silicone-based life forms look like?
What a life form is chemically based on does not say anything about about how it looks – just think of ourselves; we are carbon based, but we are neither as black as coal, nor crumbly, and we don’t ignite easily, either. So, imagining silicone based life forms as rubbery and semi transparent would be silly.
Are there any science fiction stories that feature silicon-based life forms?
Several science fiction stories feature silicon-based life-forms–sentient crystals, gruesome golden grains of sand and even a creature whose spoor or scat was bricks of silica left behind. The novellas are good reading, but there are a few problems with the chemistry.