I’m a Scientist is like school science lessons meet the X Factor! School students choose which scientist gets a prize of $1000 to communicate their work.
Scientists and students talk on this website. They both break down barriers, have fun and learn. But only the students get to vote.
This zone is the Organs Zone. It has scientists studying health and disease in various parts  of our bodies. Who gets the prize? YOU decide!
Great question!
Scientists have proposed the possibility of non-carbon lifeforms and the most commonly proposed basis for an alternative biochemical system is the silicon atom, since silicon has many chemical properties similar to carbon and is in the same periodic table group, the carbon group. Like carbon, silicon can create molecules that are sufficiently large to carry biological information.
As of yet, though, they haven’t found one!
I’m a definite believer in the possibility of other lifeforms on other planets, but i think the jury is still out on this one!!
What do you think, jguthridge?
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Um… So I guess we’re talking about hypothetical silicon based alien life jguthridge! LOL
This is soooooo not my field LOL. But I’ll try and answer.
Short answer: Is it Possible? Yes. Does it exist? Probably not!
Like carbon (which is ultimately what we are based on!), silicon can create molecules that are large enough to carry biological information. But it also has it’s drawbacks, one of which is metabolism (creating energy from food) would be greatly affected (it would be completely different to what we know). Silicon also has the disadvantage of being less abundant in the universe, so the chances of a living system (filled with life-forms) to evolve based on silicon is very low based on the rarity of naturally produced silicon compared to carbon.
Hope that makes sense 😀
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