What if humans were silicon based?
Carbon readily bonds with oxygen, forming carbon dioxide (CO2), a small gaseous molecule that we humans exhale. Whereas silicon forms silicon dioxide (SiO2) with oxygen, which is a gigantic molecule commonly known as sand. Imagine, if we were silicon-based living organisms, we would probably be exhaling sand.
What is silicon based rock?
Siliceous rock, any of a group of sedimentary rocks that consist largely or almost entirely of silicon dioxide (SiO2), either as quartz or as amorphous silica and cristobalite; included are rocks that have formed as chemical precipitates and excluded are those of detrital or fragmental origin.
Are humans carbon based?
The most important structural element, and the reason we are known as carbon-based life forms. About 12 per cent of your body’s atoms are carbon. The hydrogen atoms in your body were formed in the Big Bang.
What is the difference between silicon and carbon?
The key difference between silicon and carbon is that the carbon is a nonmetal whereas the silicon is a metalloid. Carbon and silicon, both are in the same group (group 14) of the periodic table. Hence, they have four electrons in the outer energy level.
Why does Killy hate silicon life?
As hinted in NOiSE, Silicon Creatures first arose in The City long before the events of BLAME! This goal directly opposes Killy’s and, as a result, the Silicon Life hate and fear him, attacking him at any opportunity.
Why is carbon better than silicon for life?
Q: Why is carbon better than silicon for life? Carbon bonds tend to be of the same strength, and while silicon forms a very strong and stable first bond, the others are less stable and strong.
What is the main source of silicon?
sand
Silicon compounds are the most significant component of the Earth’s crust. Since sand is plentiful, easy to mine and relatively easy to process, it is the primary ore source of silicon. The metamorphic rock, quartzite, is another source.
Could there be silicon based life?
So, the answer, at least for now, is no – although silicon can sometimes be used biologically as a sort of structural support (and there are some examples claiming silicon as an essential trace element) for carbon-based life – silicon-based life itself does not exist, as far as we know, because of the chemical and …
Are humans made of stardust?
Stars that go supernova are responsible for creating many of the elements of the periodic table, including those that make up the human body. ‘It is totally 100% true: nearly all the elements in the human body were made in a star and many have come through several supernovas. …
Is silicon a carbon?
Silicon is below carbon on the periodic table and silicon can also make four bonds. So, it stands to reason, you could just as easily make complicated molecules with silicon.
Why is silicon a good substitute for carbon?
For example, the element silicon (Si) has chemical properties similar to those of carbon and thus might be suitable in place of carbon as a basis for some living organisms. Specifically, carbon, with its 4 unpaired outer electrons, can form tight chemical bonds by sharing those electrons with other elements.