The eight ingredients for life

For generations, scientists have been scouring our galaxy for evidence of life on other planets. They are searching for a specific set of circumstances and chemicals to come together in the right place, at the right time.

1. Water
Almost all the processes that make up life on Earth can be broken down into chemical reactions - and most of those reactions require a liquid to break down substances so they can move and interact freely. Liquid water is an essential requirement for life on Earth because it functions as a solvent. It is capable of dissolving substances and enabling key chemical reactions in animal, plant and microbial cells.

2. Carbon
Many complex molecules are needed to perform the thousands of functions sustaining complex life. Carbon is the simple building block that organisms need to form organic compounds such as proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

3. Nitrogen
Carbon is a fundamental component of organic compounds, but it can't do it alone. The complex proteins required for life are built up from smaller compounds called amino acids - simple organic compounds that contain nitrogen. Nitrogen is also needed to make DNA and RNA, the carriers of the genetic code for life on Earth.

4. Phosphorus
Phosphorus is a key component of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), an organic substance that acts as life's molecular unit of currency.

5. Sulphur
Sulphur is part of most biochemical processes on Earth, and most enzymes cannot function without it. It is also a component of many vitamins and hormones.

6. Luck
Having all the right chemicals on the same planet seems fortunate. And Earth – a tiny planet in the middle of an enormous universe – is lucky to have enough of the right chemicals to support a vast abundance of life.

7. Time
The development of complex life takes billions of years, and there’s no shortcut in the journey from single-celled organisms to complex life.

8. Location
Earth falls into the Goldilocks zone, meaning it is just the right distance from the Sun: not too hot or too cold to have liquid water on the surface.


https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/eight-ingredients-life-in-space.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1vCUk-fs7gIVCu_tCh3KwAAqEAAYASAAEgK7y_D_BwE

@ghost-of-a-duke said
For generations, scientists have been scouring our galaxy for evidence of life on other planets. They are searching for a specific set of circumstances and chemicals to come together in the right place, at the right time.

1. Water
Almost all the processes that make up life on Earth can be broken down into chemical reactions - and most of those reactions require a ...[text shortened]... r/eight-ingredients-life-in-space.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1vCUk-fs7gIVCu_tCh3KwAAqEAAYASAAEgK7y_D_BwE

A very interesting juxtaposition for in here.

I would contest that #6 is irrelevant and is included under #7 Time. But if it is insisted that it is included, then I propose that it should be titled “Probability”.

I think it’s a superfluous inclusion though.

I like Drake
the Drake equation

@divegeester said
A very interesting juxtaposition for in here.

I would contest that #6 is irrelevant and is included under #7 Time. But if it is insisted that it is included, then I propose that it should be titled “Probability”.

I think it’s a superfluous inclusion though.

I probably did a disservice to #6 in my edit. It continued:

Paul Kenrick, a Museum palaeobotanist, said, 'Over time, major catastrophes such as impact by asteroids and massive volcanic eruptions have wiped out many species.

'However, the gaps created afforded opportunities for the survivors to flourish. These accidents along the road mean chance has a huge role in shaping our destinies.'

@ghost-of-a-duke said
For generations, scientists have been scouring our galaxy for evidence of life on other planets. They are searching for a specific set of circumstances and chemicals to come together in the right place, at the right time.

1. Water
Almost all the processes that make up life on Earth can be broken down into chemical reactions - and most of those reactions require a ...[text shortened]... r/eight-ingredients-life-in-space.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1vCUk-fs7gIVCu_tCh3KwAAqEAAYASAAEgK7y_D_BwE

#6 is God
#7 is about 6 days for God. [250M x 6 = 1.5 Billion yrs]

@ghost-of-a-duke said
For generations, scientists have been scouring our galaxy for evidence of life on other planets. They are searching for a specific set of circumstances and chemicals to come together in the right place, at the right time.

1. Water
Almost all the processes that make up life on Earth can be broken down into chemical reactions - and most of those reactions require a ...[text shortened]... r/eight-ingredients-life-in-space.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1vCUk-fs7gIVCu_tCh3KwAAqEAAYASAAEgK7y_D_BwE

"Almost 99% of the mass of the human body is made up of six elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus. Only about 0.85% is composed of another five elements: potassium, sulfur, sodium, chlorine, and magnesium. All 11 are necessary for life."

"All matter in the universe is composed of a number of chemical elements. These chemical building blocks are also the basis for all living organisms on Earth. While living organisms contain a number of different elements, some elements are found in greater abundance in living organisms. These elements are oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus.

Living organisms often contain trace amounts of several elements, but the most abundant ones are oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus.

Oxygen

Oxygen is the most abundant element contained within living organisms, composing about 65% of the human body. Oxygen is also the most abundant element in the Earth's crust, and in the air that is essential for most life on Earth. Oxygen's presence in the body is largely in the form of water, which is used to produce the energy within the body needed to sustain life.

Carbon

Carbon forms the basis for all life on Earth; indeed, life forms on Earth are referred to as carbon-based life forms, emphasizing the importance of this element for life. Carbon atoms readily bond to other atomic elements, such as oxygen and nitrogen. Since carbon can so readily bond to other elements, long chains of bonds can form and provide the physical and chemical structure needed for the complex processes and structures that occur within living organisms, such as structural proteins and genetic information in the form of nucleic acids.

Hydrogen

Hydrogen is the simplest element, as its atom contains only a single proton and a single neutron. As a result of this simplicity, hydrogen readily bonds with other elements, making it an important component for the formation of living organisms. Hydrogen is the other element (along with oxygen) which forms water, a crucial component for most life forms on Earth. Hydrogen is also a byproduct in many biological reactions, including photosynthesis and metabolism.

Nitrogen

Nitrogen is one of the most abundant elements on Earth, composing approximately 80% of the air on Earth. Nitrogen is an important element in the development of plant life, as compounds containing these elements are readily absorbed and used by plants. Nitrogen is also an important component of many proteins and deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA), which is crucial for genetic material to be passed on to subsequent generations of life.

Sulfur

Sulfur is a major component of two essential amino acids used by living organisms: cysteine and methionine. These amino acids, like all amino acids, are crucial for the construction of proteins that are used for structural stability and repair of living organisms. For example, the structural integrity of hair and feathers can be attributed to these amino acids. Sulfur is also used as a source of energy and is metabolized by some species of bacteria and other lower life forms.

Phosphorus

Phosphorus is used in the formation of phospholipids, a type of molecule that is a major component of the cell membrane of all living cells. Without this cell membrane, cells would not be able to develop and would not have the structural stability to form in the first place. This protective layer of phospholipids holds all the internal components of cells in place, allowing for the processes that maintain the life of the cell to take place. The phospholipid layer also protects the cell by keeping any unwanted or potentially destructive materials outside of the cell".

Sciencing.com

In my opinion, unless the elements listed above can be duplicated under the same conditions found on earth scientists can search forever and never find life anywhere else but here on earth.

@secondson said

In my opinion, unless the elements listed above can be duplicated under the same conditions found on earth scientists can search forever and never find life anywhere else but here on earth.

I think if there were only hundreds of other planets out there you might have a valid point. However, as we are speaking about trillions of planets I find it very unlikely that only Earth has the right conditions for life.

@ghost-of-a-duke said
I think if there were only hundreds of other planets out there you might have a valid point. However, as we are speaking about trillions of planets I find it very unlikely that only Earth has the right conditions for life.

I think it is more correct to say that we are dealing with an infinite number of planets. This galaxy alone has over 100,000,000,000 planets. The number of galaxies cross 125,000,000,000, and thats only what the Hubble can see.

@rajk999 said
I think it is more correct to say that we are dealing with an infinite number of planets. This galaxy alone has over 100,000,000,000 planets. The number of galaxies cross 125,000,000,000, and thats only what the Hubble can see.

Yes, indeed. Those numbers make my brain hurt.

It is inconceivable that a God would put life on just one of them.

Out of a thousand ingredients ONE crucial ingredient needed for the first automobile:

Henry Ford.

@ghost-of-a-duke said
I think if there were only hundreds of other planets out there you might have a valid point. However, as we are speaking about trillions of planets I find it very unlikely that only Earth has the right conditions for life.

Either way yours is pure speculation.

Fact is, according to astrological science, the earth sits in a unique position in our galaxy that's makes observation of the entire universe possible.

Of course you can speculate about that and claim the same conditions could exist elsewhere, but the reality is you'll never really know.

@rajk999 said
I think it is more correct to say that we are dealing with an infinite number of planets. This galaxy alone has over 100,000,000,000 planets. The number of galaxies cross 125,000,000,000, and thats only what the Hubble can see.

Those are small numbers relative to the size of an infinite universe.

Any rationalizations of possibilities of created life elsewhere in the universe is based on conjectural speculations, and zero biblical evidence, and meaningless relative to sound reasoning with regards to known facts and reality.

@ghost-of-a-duke said
It is inconceivable that a God would put life on just one of them.

No it's not. You may think so, but only because it fits your speculations and opinionated narrative.

@secondson said
Either way yours is pure speculation.

Fact is, according to astrological science, the earth sits in a unique position in our galaxy that's makes observation of the entire universe possible.

Of course you can speculate about that and claim the same conditions could exist elsewhere, but the reality is you'll never really know.

With respect, religion is speculation.

Earth is an amazing planet, but it isn't unique. Neither are we.

@secondson said
Those are small numbers relative to the size of an infinite universe.

Any rationalizations of possibilities of created life elsewhere in the universe is based on conjectural speculations, and zero biblical evidence, and meaningless relative to sound reasoning with regards to known facts and reality.

Sound reasoning with regards to known facts and reality is not reliant on biblical evidence. ((And often flies in the face of it).