ed84c Posted February 8, 2004 Share Posted February 8, 2004 Carbon is meant to be the base of life as it has half an electron shell on the outside. Well so does hydrogen and a few other elements, so why arnt those as special? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cap'n Refsmmat Posted February 8, 2004 Share Posted February 8, 2004 We are made of carbon, that's why. My teacher always said, "We're just water-filled bags of carbon." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agaubr Posted February 8, 2004 Share Posted February 8, 2004 Who said the other elements were ot special. Its just that as a life force all known life to my knowledge on earth has carbon based compounds in them for proteins, DNA, etc. SO carbon is the basis for life. Ag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cap'n Refsmmat Posted February 8, 2004 Share Posted February 8, 2004 Didn't I just say that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agaubr Posted February 8, 2004 Share Posted February 8, 2004 Yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fafalone Posted February 8, 2004 Share Posted February 8, 2004 Carbons special properties form from its being able to form exactly 4 bonds; and its not strongly electronegative so these bonds are covalents; this allows large, stable structures to develop. The disucssion of silicon based life inevitably arises because it too forms 4 covalent bonds, but carbons lower molecule weight is also a determining factor... silicon is just too heavy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cap'n Refsmmat Posted February 8, 2004 Share Posted February 8, 2004 Say, faf, didn't you resign? Silicon animals? They would be abundant... there's lots of sand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Demosthenes- Posted February 8, 2004 Share Posted February 8, 2004 Ouch. IS that it about Carbon? Is there anything else that would work as easy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chemistry Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 Notice that carbon is more electronegative than any other elements with the same valence electron number (4 electrons). Thus carbon easily forms tetrahedral arrangements and more importantly it can form extended networks with other carbons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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