Why Is It Highly Likely That Life, Should It Exist

question 41

Multiple Choice

Why is it highly likely that life, should it exist elsewhere in the universe than just on Earth, would be based on carbon chemistry?

• A) Carbon can form a resilient bond with many more atomic species in a wider variety of complex forms than other equivalent elements, such as silicon.
• B) Carbon combines more readily than other atoms with nitrogen, the major component of atmospheres such as that of Earth, to produce complex molecules.
• C) Carbon is expected to be far more abundant than silicon or other like elements that can combine to produce complex molecules.
• D) Carbon releases more energy than do most other atoms when it combines with oxygen, providing the energy for life processes in living organisms.