The ATGC coding of DNA - it remains unclear whether replication was the first biochemical step on Earth or whether energy producing metabolisers developed this trick further down the track. Credit: NASA (adapted image).
Last week?s AWAT Why Water? took the approach of acknowledging that while numerous solvents are available to support alien biochemistries, water is very likely to be the most common biological solvent out there – just on the basis of its sheer abundance. It also has useful chemical features that would be advantageous to alien biochemistries ? particularly where its liquid phase occurs in a warmer temperature zone than any other solvent. (...)
Read the rest of Astronomy Without A Telescope – Why Carbon? (469 words)
© Steve Nerlich for Universe Today, 2011. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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Full story at http://www.universetoday.com/82317/astronomy-without-a-telescope-why-carbon/
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