Why exactly did carbon become the cause of life?

[rupol2000]

What properties of carbon predetermined this? Are there any hypotheses in science in this regard?

 

[ReinyDays]

Primarily that carbon readily bonds to itself ... giving us long hydrocarbon chains ... no other element has this property at pressures and temperatures where water exists in her liquid state ...

Helpful is that carbon is the third most common element in the known universe ...

Together, these two points pretty much eliminates any other element being the basis of life anywhere else ... extremely likely ET will be forming proteins out of amino acids ... although we might find some amino acids a bit different, and of course the proteins will be different ...

 

[fncceo]

Carbon contains four electrons in its valence layer... which makes it bond easily with atoms of other elements to form complex molecules.

It does this over a large range of temperatures.

 

[fncceo]

extremely likely ET will be forming proteins out of amino acids

Unless ET is a Horta...

 

[Baron Von Murderpaws]

 

[odanny]

Without carbon, hardening of heat treated steels would largely be impossible.

 

[rupol2000]

Without carbon, hardening of heat treated steels would largely be impossible.

what does this have to do with the topic?

 

[Stryder50]

Unless ET is a Horta...

View attachment 565985

There would have to be almost no carbon present for this to happen.
Conditions for carbon chains to form are far more prevalent ~ i.e. conditions for silicon bonding are more constrictive, especially if carbon is available.

 

[Quasar44]

rupol2000
Carbon can bind with other different atoms and produce more complex creations

 

[Quasar44]

Quasar44
All forged in a super nova
Every atom in your body came from Star dust !

Unless you’re a Jew then you came from god