Is it a coincidence that life on Earth is based on carbon? Is this the only element capable of becoming the basis for life? Could there exist, somewhere in the Universe, a type of life different from ours, whose chemical composition is not based on carbon? On what atom or group of atoms could a chemistry of comparable complexity to organic chemistry be built, in theory?
There are 91 different chemical elements on Earth.
Others have been generated artificially in the laboratory, and it is suspected
that they can be produced in small quantities inside a giant star that becomes a
supernova, but their life is short, because they are very radioactive and
disintegrate quickly, transforming into more stable elements. Therefore, the
search can be reduced to the 91 natural elements. We will select from these
those that meet the following two conditions, essential to be able to be the
chemical basis of life:
- They must be capable
of establishing more than two covalent bonds with other atoms.
- They must be stable. That is, they must have at least one non-radioactive isotope.
