• Members of the previous forum can retrieve their temporary password here, (login and check your PM).

arsenic based life

Migrated topic.
This is fascinating. I wonder what repercussions there are of substituting the significantly larger arsenic for phosphorous. My guess would be that the macro-molecules that were noted with the substitution would be less stable but I don't what that would mean for the organism itself. More mutations?
 
benzyme said:
not much difference

same number of valence electrons, same number of bonds
Click to expand...

I do realize that, the substitution couldn't occur at all if As and P had different valence electrons.

Quickly looking it up shows that the sizes aren't that different.
P has an atomic radius of 100 pm when derived empirically while As has an atomic radius of 115 pm.
 
benzyme said:
ok.
Click to expand...

Are you kidding?

VisualDistortion said:
Why don't we see this in other biological life though?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure on this one either. According to the paper there are substitutions between other similar elements but not any of the "needed six." I guess another important question is why is arsenic poisonous at all? It seems to inhibit a few necessary enzymes but I don't know why it would if it and P are so similar.
 
There electronegativity is similar too.

Similar atomic radius, electronegativity, same number of valence electrons. It is a pretty common water contaminant too so you thing there would be a lot of bacteria exploiting the Arcenic niche. Maybe there are, and this is only the first one scientist have discovered.

Since I'm speculating, Maybe the orbitals hybridize differently than Phosphorous. Or the d shell electrons have something to do with it?
 
VisualDistortion said:
There electronegativity is similar too.

Similar atomic radius, electronegativity, same number of valence electrons. It is a pretty common water contaminant too so you thing there would be a lot of bacteria exploiting the Arcenic niche. Maybe there are, and this is only the first one scientist have discovered.

Since I'm speculating, Maybe the orbitals hybridize differently than Phosphorous. Or the d shell electrons have something to do with it?
Click to expand...
That's the reason why it's poisonous...because it is so simmilar. But not simmilar enough. It will take the place of phosphor in any organism, but then the cell appears not to function like it should anymore.
 
Back
Top Bottom