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From: glg@sfsup.UUCP (G.Gleason)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Non-carbon based life
Message-ID: <1825@sfsup.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 12-Aug-87 20:34:37 EDT
Article-I.D.: sfsup.1825
Posted: Wed Aug 12 20:34:37 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 15-Aug-87 05:26:11 EDT
References: <265@askja.UUCP> <1767@sfsup.UUCP> <241@etn-rad.UUCP>
Reply-To: glg@/guest4/glgUUCP (xmpj20000-G.Gleason)
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In article <241@etn-rad.UUCP> jru@etn-rad.UUCP (0000-John Unekis) writes:
>In article <1767@sfsup.UUCP> glg@/guest4/glgUUCP (xmpj20000-G.Gleason) writes:
>>In article <265@askja.UUCP> frisk@askja.UUCP (Fridrik Skulason) writes:
>>
>>>     Is non-carbon based life possible?
>> ....(Carbon based life)...
>>did not start here, but that inter-stelar microbes of viruses seeded
>>life on our planet.
>
>     There is a polpular misconception about viruses, namely that they are
>     the simplest and probably first form of life. Viruses are nothing
>     but genetic material wrapped in protien. They cannot assimilate
>     nutrients, and they cannot reproduce alone. A virus replicates itself
>     by injecting its DNA sequence into a host cell and tricking the host
>     cell to copy it.

I only used the term "viruses" as an example of a small package of
life bearing material, I understand your objection.  I can also imagine
mechanisms that would allow a virus like unit to "infect" our planet.  In
a primitive earth environment, conditions in the biosphere as a whole
might be able to support infection by a particular virus.  This would not
be a virus capable of infecting any organism on earth today.  In any case,
this is just speculation, and what I was trying to point out is that a
single "seed" from outside might be able to "crystalize" life on the whole
planet.  A difficult theory to test since all the evidence may have been
wiped out already.

Gerry Gleason