Alien Biology
Basic Information
Extraterrestrial / alien life is likely to be rather different than that found here on earth. Even in a setting where exogenesis or panspermia proves true, and carbon-based life is the galactic norm, there will be billions of years of evolution for alien biochemistry, biology, and genetics to diverge from that exhibited on earth.
Subtypes and Related Topics
There are many ways in which alien life can be different than life as we know it. Rather than make one huge page attempting to address all the permutations, this page will serve as an index of links to other pages exploring facets of this topic.
- Acidophile
- Alien Amino Acids
- Alkaliphile
- Alternative Atmospheres
- Ammonia as Biological Solvent
- Anaerobe
- Aridophile
- Arsenic-based Life
- Barophile
- Boron-based Life
- Bubble Life
- Chlorine-Breathing Life
- Cryophile
- Endolith
- Extremophile
- Halophile
- Heavyworlder
- Hydrocarbons as Biological Solvent
- Hydrogen Fluoride as Biological Solvent
- Hydrogen Peroxide as Biological Solvent
- Hypolith
- Hypothetical Types of Biochemistry
- Interstellar dust-based life
- Life On Mars
- Lightworlder
- Lithoautotroph
- Mesophile
- Metal-based Life
- Methane-Breathing Life
- Metallotolerant
- Motile Plant
- Neutrophile
- Nitrogen- and Phosphorus-based Life
- Non-Cellular Life
- Non-Green Photosynthesizers
- Non-Water Biological Solvents
- Nucleic Acid Analogues
- Obligate Anaerobe
- Oligotroph
- Osmophile
- Piezophile
- Plasma-based Life
- Polyextremophile
- Psychrophile
- Radioresistant
- Scotophile
- Sessile Animal
- Shadow Life
- Silicon-based Life
- Space Plants
- Sulfur-based Life
- Sulfur-Breathing Life
- Tachyonic Life
- Thermoacidophile
- Thermophile
- Troglomorphy
- Variable Environments
- Xerophile
Artificial Life:
- Android
- Artificial Life
- Astrochicken
- Biorobotics
- Cyborg
- Robot
- Self-Replicating Machine
- Von Neumann Probe
Tropes:
See Also:
- Alternative Biology
- Astrobiology
- Carbon Chauvinism
- Clay Theory
- Extraterrestrial Life
- Fourth-Dimensional Lifeform
- Iron-Sulfur World Theory
- Interstellar Terrain
- Planetary Habitability
- Purple Earth Hypothesis
- Red Edge
- Shadow Biosphere
- Xenobiology
- News: Antarctica’s “Blood Falls” Shows How Aliens Might Live
Sources
Bibliography
1. Non-Fiction Book: The Science of Aliens by Clifford Pickover
Game and Story Use
- The pages that the above links lead to should provide plenty of ideas for aliens, monsters, and environmental hazards in your campaign. Follow the links for more information.
page revision: 22, last edited: 09 Aug 2019 06:27