mbrinkhues
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I am of the opinion that the concept of "Alien" ecosystems and biology being so radically different is a logically unfounded assumption. Carbon chemistry is carbon chemistry everywhere. All attempts to produce anything even remotely suggestive of "life" using a copper or silicon base have yielded no positive results that I am aware of. Genetics and biology have shown that even the most radically different lifeforms on Earth are more similar than different at the cellular and genetic level.Originally posted by atpollard:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by shadowdragon:
btw i am not using "trekkie" biology. i never said the local flora and fauna was edible, more likely it wont be. we will be lucky if local soil will grow terran foodstuffs. and if it isnt edible, it cant eat the colonists either.
Alien life could easily look very different. Some of it could easily contain toxic compounds and elements. It is, however, my opinion that if the air is breathable and the water is drinkable, then an earthlike carbon based ecosystem is likely. New species (and classes and orders) are likely, but protien is protien and sugars are sugar - some of it will probably be edible and some of it could find US delicious.
The planets (like Venus) that are possible candidates for completely toxic ecosystems, are unlikely choices for colonization. And if you did want to colonize a toxic world, it would probably be easier to alter the 1000 colonists than to create and sustain Earth-like plants and animals on the hostile world.
Just my 2 cents. </font>[/QUOTE]Some very minor problems with huge effects:
+ Ammino Acids come in two varieties (Left and right turning). One is useable by humans, the other is not. This is likely due to a slightly higher number of the L-type in earth biochemistry. Otherwise both are equal in function so another planet using the D-type could exist resulting in foodstuffs being useless for direct human consumption
+ Vitamin B12 can not be synthesized by humans but is needed to stay mentally healthy. An other eco-system might be able to do without, resulting in a otherwise edible plant/animal life that after 6-12 years will drive the colonists insane(1)
+ Some earth animals can digest foodstuff that is posenous to humans (i.e Belladonna), others can take considerable ammounts of heavy metals.
(1) The body can and does store B12, that is how non-supplementing Vegans survive for quite some time. At least one Vegan from my study days (9 years ago) HAS ended in a mental institute by now.