amoda Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 Hi I was just wondering why we always keep looking for water as a sign of life. Couldnt there be any chance that there could be life without water or oxygen or anything else we labled as necassary for life? I just find it that it kinda limits our view of the universe. I just keep wondering if somewhere out there, there is an intelegint life form that relies on lets say iron for survival. Just a thought. P.S. Sorry about spelling. :banana: hehe banana hehe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radical Edward Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 possibly, but you need to consider the chemistry and solvents that would be required. water is a brilliant solvent, for a number of reasons, such as the density changes around it's freezing point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookie Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 Not only that - water is fundamental in our understanding of biochemistry & metabolism. Life would be very different if we were not made up of mostly water! Cookie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cap'n Refsmmat Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 What happens if something lives on sulfuric acid and breathes methane? Isn't that possible? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skye Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 Anythings possible, but we only have so many gazillion dollar probes, so we have to go with what we know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neurocomp2003 Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 we look for water/oxygen lifeforms because life as we know it(especially higher cognitive lifeforms) exist based on these 2 things. Thus astrobiologists assume this is the best way to start Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaKiri Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 Cap'n Refsmmat said in post # :What happens if something lives on sulfuric acid and breathes methane? Isn't that possible? Sulphuric acid contains water duder. (If it's not got water as the solvote, then it's not an acid) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YT2095 Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 Cap'n Refsmmat said in post # :What happens if something lives on sulfuric acid and breathes methane? Isn't that possible? there are indeed such creatures like that here on Earth too, the sulphiric acid pools in Yellowstone national park have such life thriving in it, there are some Geisers with super heated water with bacteria living quite happily in it. and some creatures that live kilometers under the oceans, that get all their energy from volcanic vents because there`s no light down there from sun due to it`s depths, many of those are methane breathers too. but they all have one thing in common, Water and Carbon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 Free oxygen isn't thought to be essential to life - in fact its potentially quite nasty stuff if you're not adapted to it. But water, as a solvent, hydrogen donor, and electron donor, may well be necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaKiri Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 Plus it's liquid at high pressures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radical Edward Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 ooh Giles, long time no see can you recommend any good undergraduate biology textbooks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaKiri Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 Radical Edward said in post # :ooh Giles, long time no see can you recommend any good undergraduate biology textbooks? I hear CELLS is good. The one that has the beatles album cover references on the back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radical Edward Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 difficult to search for on amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VendingMenace Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 what type of biology are you interested in learning about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpat1023 Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 I have always thought it is very close minded to think that all life needs water and oxygen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skye Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 MrL probably means Molecular Biology of the Cell, by Alberts et al. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaKiri Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 That's the one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lauren Posted April 11, 2004 Share Posted April 11, 2004 sounds like a stupid question, but what if we just cannot physically see other life forms on other planets???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sayonara Posted April 11, 2004 Share Posted April 11, 2004 How do you mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rahuldandekar Posted May 28, 2004 Share Posted May 28, 2004 Water is a polar solvent. That is why it can dissolve many compounds. If we are looking for carbon-based life, then water is the best place for life molecules to form. Also, the first life organisms didn't use oxygen, but hydrogen from the water, liberating oxygen. Thats why our atmosphere changed to 20% oxygen. Thats why the ozone layer formed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[Tycho?] Posted June 13, 2004 Share Posted June 13, 2004 sounds like a stupid question, but what if we just cannot physically see other life forms on other planets???? See them how? Like not detect them? You need to elaborate a bit here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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