Why is a water/carbon chemistry basis for life expected to be universal?
Carbon is relatively abundant and is versatile – it shares up to four electrons, and easily forms long molecular chains (polymers). No other element, even silicon, can match these properties. Water is chemically simple, is abundant, is a liquid over a wide temperature range, dissolves a wide variety of substances including organic molecules, and has a relatively large surface tension. • Give an example of convergent evolution: name the animals/plants involved and the feature involved.There are many examples given in the notes, like dolphins, salmon and icthyosaurs (fins), opposums, chameleons, sea horses, binturongs, kinkajous, anteaters, phalangers and monkeys (grasping tails). I’m sure there are many others to be found online. • What is the difference in approaches taken by artificial life compared to genetic modification to create the simplest living organisms?Artificial life takes a bottom-up approach while genetic modification takes a top-down approach, i.e., with artificial life
