Why was carbon chosen to be the backbone of life on earth?

Answer 1

Carbon has a valence of 4 which makes it capable of entering into 4 covalent bonds. This situation allows carbon to form many different chemical compounds. The following are variations in which carbon may form different chemical compounds:

1). Length of the carbon skeleton may differ ( C-C, C-C-C, C-C-C-C-C, etc.).

2). Branching of the carbon skeleton ( C-C-C-C, C-C-C-C-C )
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3). The number of double bonds may differ ( C=C-C-C, C=C=C-C ).

4). The molecular structure may be in ring form.

Functional Groups: These are certain groups of atoms attached to the carbon skeleton. This area is usually on the end of the molecule. This region is the focus of most chemical reactions. These groups change the activity and function of the molecule they are added to.

Answer 2

Carbon has a great affinity for bonding with other small atoms, including other carbon atoms, and its small size makes it capable of forming multiple bonds. Because of these properties, carbon is known to form nearly ten million different compounds, the large majority of all chemical compounds.
Carbon compounds form the basis of all life on Earth and the carbon-nitrogen cycle provides some of the energy produced by the Sun and other stars. Moreover, carbon has the highest melting/sublimation point of all elements.
Carbon is essential to all known living systems, and without it life as we know it could not exist . The major economic use of carbon not in living or formerly-living material (such as food and wood) is in the form of hydrocarbons, most notably the fossil fuel methane gas and crude oil (petroleum). Crude oil is used by the petrochemical industry to produce, amongst others, gasoline and kerosene, through a distillation process, in refineries. Crude oil forms the raw material for many synthetic substances, many of which are collectively called plastics.
Carbon exhibits remarkable properties. Different forms include the hardest naturally occurring substance (diamond) and one of the softest substances (graphite) known.

Answer 3

The carbon atom possesses some very especial characteristics that enables it to have at least 4 covalent bonds (either with carbon atoms or some other different elements) all these bonds could rotate at a wide angle ( till 120 degrees) , thus various chemical and biochemical molecular axises could be made of such carbon monomers! you, yourself can guess what will happened then in bio world!

Answer 4

Carbon is a versatile atom, capable of establishing four covalent bonds with other atoms, including other carbon atoms. This basic characteristic allows for chains or rings of carbon atoms with other atoms connected to either side. Other atoms in the carbon family (e.g. silicon) are also capable of forming four covalent bonds but they tend not to form double bonds or ring-like structures. Atoms outside of the carbon family are incapable of forming more than 3 covalent bonds, lessening their flexibility and versatility, and they also tend not to form long chains or rings. Only carbon can give rise to the great variety and complexity of chemical compounds that are the basis of life as we know it.

As for carbon being "chosen", that's a knotty theological matter that ought to be discussed in some forum other than "Science."

Answer 5

Carbon is the only element that can make bonds with itself so that chains are produced, silicon has similar properties, but Carbon is a main element in everyday life, and thus, is lucky enough to have a whole subject in chemistry dedicated to it. This unique property makes it the foundation of organic chemistry. Because of its extremely large variety of possible bonding configurations the range of applications in organic compounds is enormous.

Answer 6

All frequently going on existence is carbon-based which comprise viruses, that are in basic terms exterior the definition of existence. there is an exterior threat that some existence with option chemistry ought to exist someplace in the international. Of the climate that are replaced, carbon is far less probable than others.

Answer 7

No-one "chose" carbon to be anything.

Carbon has a series of properties which enable it to form chains and rings that no other elements have in quite the same way (with the possible exception of silicon, which is related to carbon). These unique properties have enabled life to evolve.

Answer 8

You've got this all backward. Carbon wasn't "chosen". Carbon (and many other things) is what was here and so life developed using carbon.

Answer 9

There are only a few elements that have a structure that supports chemical bonds to create complex molecular chains. Carbon is one. Silicon is another such element, but its structure supports rigid structure so the most complexity you can get from silicon is complex structural crystals.

Answer 10

so sorry i have not study until that deep.Hope you would find the correct answer