What you’ll learn to do: Discuss why it is said that life is carbon-based and the bonding properties of carbon

You’ve probably heard the term carbon-based life thrown about in scientific conversations before. But what exactly does the term mean? Possibly the quickest answer to this question is simply that all living things are reliant on molecules that include carbon. There are no living things on our planet that do not have carbon (however, there are nonliving things made up of carbon as well: e.g, diamonds and, well, carbon itself).

In this outcome we’ll learn about the importance of carbon to every living thing on earth and its unique properties that make it particularly suited for its role in living things.