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Building Blocks of Life

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Life in the Universe

Part of the book series: Springer Praxis Books ((ASTRONOMY))

Abstract

Life is based on complex chemistry yet only a few of all the available elements participate in most life-supporting reactions on Earth: carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, phosphorous, and sulfur. Of these, the most characteristic element of biological systems is carbon. In this chapter we will discuss why carbon is so favored by life on Earth and whether other elements could replace carbon in its dominant role on other worlds.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Technical University Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Dirk Schulze-Makuch

  2. University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA

    Louis N. Irwin

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Schulze-Makuch, D., Irwin, L.N. (2018). Building Blocks of Life. In: Life in the Universe. Springer Praxis Books(). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97658-7_6

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