If I've understood it correctly, these bacteria uses Arsenic instead of Phosphorus, in DNA, in ATP, in proteins and elsewere. Very alien if you ask me.
Is the aminoacids in the DNA the same, the ACTG blocks that define the genetic information? Does it code for the same proteins as our DNA do?
I have had a feeling that when life first showed itself on this planet in the dawn of the history, not only one kind of life appeared, but many. Only the type of life we know, i.e. us, survived and the rest went gone.
I was wrong. Other kind of life survived too. This is one example. Perhaps there are more kinds too.
Let's see, eh, why did Carbon life survived and not Silicon life? Because carbon is more simpler than Silicon? Atomic Number for Carbon is 6, Silicon is 14.
Why did Phosphorus life survived and not Arsenic life? Because Phosphorus is more simpler than Arsenic? Atomic Number for Phosphorus is 15, Arsenic is 33.
But now we see that Arsenic life actually survived! What about Silicon life? We don't know yet, but I suppose that Silicon life will be sought after, perhaps detected, who knows?
As the Arsenic life and Phosphorus life have much in common, suggests that they have a common ancestor. This ancestor would be very early (and I mean: very *very* early) after the beginning of our planet. Can this give us information when non-life elements turned living?
This is very interesting. Anyone who knows more about this, please give us more information!
Originally posted by FabianFnasThe reason for carbon is this: Carbon can make many many times the kinds of molecular bonds, its closest neighbors can only make simpler bonds so silicon could make life probably, it didn't win out here because carbon gets to make more complex material for life.
If I've understood it correctly, these bacteria uses Arsenic instead of Phosphorus, in DNA, in ATP, in proteins and elsewere. Very alien if you ask me.
Is the aminoacids in the DNA the same, the ACTG blocks that define the genetic information? Does it code for the same proteins as our DNA do?
I have had a feeling that when life first showed itself o ...[text shortened]...
This is very interesting. Anyone who knows more about this, please give us more information!
This life form is not alien because it is based on regular earthy DNA, with some modifications. This report was the one I referred to in one of my posts, NASA had a discovery about life that came out thursday, that was the gist of it. Arsenic instead of phos.
It is not like any other earth form but it is still from earth. It just evolved in a highly arsenic bearing water.
It could just as easily been the next one down the table, Sb, antimony, or maybe the next one down, Bi, Bismuth. Less likely of course but now that arsenic has been proven to be able to sub for phos, it seems like a long term high concentration of antimony could do the trick also.