14 Self and the Phenomenon of Life
b2726 Self and the Phenomenon of Life: A Biologist Examines Life from Molecules to Humanity “9x6”non-aqueous liquid. Ammonia (NH 3 ) is in liquid form in an environment
having low temperature and high pressure. Liquid ammonia has many prop-
erties similar to water. It is a polar molecule and can form hydrogen bonds;
it is a solvent for many organic compounds so metabolic processes might
take place. Formamide is another solvent similar to water. It is polar and dis-
solves many things that water dissolves. Furthermore, formamide stabilizes
RNA and might provide a favorable environment for an RNA World (see
next chapter). Hydrocarbons like methane, ethane, propane, and butane
are less polar, but they are abundant in the solar system. They are in liquid
form provided the temperature is low enough and the pressure high. In liq-
uid form they are good solvents for organic compounds and might support
metabolism. To stretch our imagination further, life might even exist in solid
or gas phase. Molecules diffuse very slowly in solids, so imaginary metab-
olism in solids would take ages, giving solid organisms an extremely long
lifespan. In contrast, life in the gaseous form would be too unstable; molec-
ular diffusion would be too fast and chemical reactions too hard to control.
Worst of all, gaseous life would not have a confined internal environment,
a requirement for life. This is a fatal flaw in the Black Cloud fantasy of Fred
Hoyle. For a more thorough discussion of the unusual forms of life that
might possibly exist in outer space, see: Benner S. (2009) Life, the Universe
and the Scientific Method. The FfAME Press, Gainesville, Florida.- Holism means the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.