Why is Carbon the Key to Life? (On Earth, Anyway)

One element is the backbone of all forms of life we’ve ever discovered on Earth: carbon. Number six on the periodic table is, to the best of our knowledge, impossible to live without. In this episode of Reactions, discover what makes carbon so exceptional, its nearly infinite capabilities, and potential intergalactic implications.

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Credits:
Producer: Kirk Zameiroski
Writer: Kirk Zameiroski
Scientific Consultants: Nick Hud, PhD
Executive Producer: George Zaidan

Music:
Mako Yama - Cloud Sculpture

Sources:

Ever wonder why dogs sniff each others' butts? Or how Adderall works? Or whether it's OK to pee in the pool? We've got you covered: Reactions a web series about the chemistry that surrounds you every day.

[louis_dlb]

bro made the hardest carbon edit from this video 🗿

[rogerjohnson]

Interesting video! Gave me the thought that carbon based life might evolve naturally and ubiquitously and then more stable silicone life could be evolved intelligently.

[jaysonholifield]

First video I found to help me with my question thanks

[jacobfowler]

anyone got answers?


Carbon: The Element of Life

Before reading the articles and watching the videos, take a look at the questions below. This will help you be ready to see and hear the key ideas when they come up. Review any readings and videos as needed.
*Note the italicized terms as important science vocabulary.

Video 1: Carbon: The Element of Life
How many protons and how many electrons does a carbon atom have?
6 protons and 6 electrons

What is nuclear fusion?
Protons and neutrons smash together and fuse

Elements 6 through 10 (C, N, O, F, Ne) want how many electrons in their outermost shell?
8 electrons

A carbon atom that is bound to four other atoms will take what kind of shape? Why?
A linear or flat shape or 3 dimensional with 4 ends

What makes carbon-carbon bonds “excellent building blocks”?
Graphite and diamond


Video 2: Why is Carbon the Key to Life?
List the five examples of structures that are based on carbon.
Green, furry, small, big, weird

Silicon shares a lot of similarities with carbon, including…



The video mentions three “setbacks” that limit silicon’s ability to be the building blocks for life. What are these setbacks?



When astrochemists measure different wavelengths of light traveling through an exoplanet’s atmosphere, what might they find?



If scientists detect a lot of small molecules (like oxygen or methane) floating around in an atmosphere, what might that indicate?





Article 1: Significance of Carbon
Carbon’s ability to form stable bonds with many elements allows it to do what?



List the four major types of carbon-based compounds AND give two examples of each.




Embedded video (Article 1)
In ancient times, scholars believed that everything in the universe was made up of just four elements. What are those elements?



An average-size person has 16 kg of carbon inside of them. How many pounds is that? (you might need to find an online site to make the conversion)




THINK
Think of ways that carbon atoms can enter our bodies. List as many possibilities as you can.

[briannorris]

A most interesting and well made video, very thought provoking. With the advances in AI that are currently being made, would a truly intelligent computer perhaps count as some form of silicon 'Life' ?
Perhaps it is the very definition of 'Life' that needs to be revised?

[AelwynMr]

Mollusc shells are made of calcium carbonate, usually as aragonite. There certainly are organisms that use silica, such as diatoms, radiolarians, sponges. But not molluscs!

[Nightyknight]

but the hydrogen bonding of water is needed for life. Methane and Ethane lack the hydrogen bonding capability that water has, and oxygen is generally necessary for many of the processes of life. alcohol could be possible but methanol and ethanol would be extremely unlikely replacements for water in extraterrestrial life.

[alexixeno]

I appreciate to no end how you state how much is theory

[cccircuit]

I see what you did with the moon @3:38 and I approve.

[TazPessle]

I wonder if its more probable to have a carbon-nitrogen system where nitrogen is more central to structures. It has one less valence but can form +5 oxidation states giving it flexibility where it loses out to carbon in other places. It would look similar in many ways to life on earth, just with more heterocyclic units and aliphatics with nitrogens substituted in.
And it seems nitrogen has been suggested, but who knows. Maybe whatever life is found uses C, N, Si as main components of macromolecules but in different ratios. Maybe the difference could also lie in how much halogen/calcogen/phosphorous substitution there is too.

[oscargarcia-miranda]

Could there be a planet with both Si and C as the buildingblocks for life?

[a.k]

If we take some amount of carbon and hydrogen how can you determine the type of compound formed by it .

[dragonskunkstudio]

Please make a video about how you display molecules and chains.
Or is this show just for the chemists?

[ginnyjollykidd]

Maybe a different environment would allow Silicon to be more stable?

Maybe Silicon bonds are more stable at lower temperatures? Maybe such life makes unique catalysts and/or enzymes to lower activation energy to allow metabolism to occur within Silicon life, even as carbon - based life uses enzymes and step - down energy use from high - energy reactants. (Ex. ATP-> ADP-> AMP)

[nyanpraterjr]

Great video. Stunning attention to detail and insights. This whole idea that life as a concept is defined by replication, binary or only multiple fission from a field (hive) perspective is self-limited ... in my humble opinion. Thanks for making this video and sharing. Excellent choice of words as to why carbon is more closely associated with self-replication.

[samadhistate]

Religion is but a desperate attempt to find an escape from the truly dreadful situation in which we find ourselves. Yet it's so extraordinary how finely tuned the universe has to be for life to exist. Like the way carbon is made and why there's so much of it.

[GlynyrdSkynyrd]

I just need to know if that was a prometheus class ship from Stargate going to earth

[chemprofdave]

If any non-aqueous biology is found, my money is on ammonia as the primary solvent instead of hydrocarbons. The H-bonding, polarity, and proton exchange make it a more likely candidate. Also, ammonia is a pretty common substance. And high atmospheric pressures might allow ammonia to remain liquid at temperatures warm enough for the kinetics of life to be feasible.

[C_Bat]

Life attacc
Life Protecc
but most importantly
life is just

[franciscamoena]

hey reactions team. I've got a question: how come, when something is air-tight sealed, there can still come odour out of it? For example when this happens with smell-trained police dogs. Thanks, great video btw!