You can't swap silicon for carbon in DNA. Silicon doesn't have the same talent for directionally bonding to itself.
I'm not a chemist and I'm not really sure where to look, but does carbon only have this unique talent for directionally bonding to itself at ANY temperature and pressure? Is it conceivable for another element to develop this property at radically different environments?
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Another more detailed article
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/nov/30/hm-recollected-famous-amnesic-launches-bold-new-br/
You can't swap silicon for carbon in DNA. Silicon doesn't have the same talent for directionally bonding to itself.
I'm not a chemist and I'm not really sure where to look, but does carbon only have this unique talent for directionally bonding to itself at ANY temperature and pressure? Is it conceivable for another element to develop this property at radically different environments?