Want to run something past the folks who are more inherently hard science than I am. I'm utilizing a star system generation problem (Astrosynthesis 3, specifically, with some GURPS mods built in for extra detail) and the thing has spit out a number of Ammonia/Methane worlds with a significant population.
Is this a viable chemical basis for life? I know that ammonia is generally considered a pretty good replacement for water in a biology, and that in theory methane based respiration works too. But is there a plausible biology by which a ecology could evolve where ammonia is used as a solvent, like water, and methane for respiration replacing oxygen? I know it would be at a temperature below Earth norm, and the planet would look something like a warm Titan. I was thinking something involving respiration stripping the hydrogen atoms off of the methane and utilizing them for energy along with some kind of ammonia reaction, but this is where my relatively limited chemistry knowledge hits a wall that Google isn't helping me solve. I've found plenty speculation involving ammonia based biology and methane based biology, but not a biology that incorporates the two.
Help?
Xenobiology Speculation/Question
Moderator: Alyrium Denryle
Xenobiology Speculation/Question
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Re: Xenobiology Speculation/Question
The first thing I would do is check out the terrestrial extremophiles for those associated with methane and ammonia, preferably those likely cold environments. The downside to that is that our extremophiles don't use ammonia as a solvent, they use it as food. I'm sure there has been some scholarly speculation on possible Titan life out there as well.
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Now I did a job. I got nothing but trouble since I did it, not to mention more than a few unkind words as regard to my character so let me make this abundantly clear. I do the job. And then I get paid.- Malcolm Reynolds, Captain of Serenity, which sums up my feelings regarding the lawsuit discussed here.
If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich. - John F. Kennedy
Sam Vimes Theory of Economic Injustice
Re: Xenobiology Speculation/Question
Yeah, I think my problem is I'm trying to combine two things that individually have had some speculation, but combined not so much. Most exobiology/extremophile speculation/science has one or the other, not both.
"I'm sorry, you seem to be under the mistaken impression that your inability to use the brain evolution granted you is any of my fucking concern."
"You. Stupid. Shit." Victor desperately wished he knew enough Japanese to curse properly. "Davions take alot of killing." -Grave Covenant
Founder of the Cult of Weber
"You. Stupid. Shit." Victor desperately wished he knew enough Japanese to curse properly. "Davions take alot of killing." -Grave Covenant
Founder of the Cult of Weber