Title: What conditions are required for life? | HowStuffWorks
Headings: What conditions are required for life?
What conditions are required for life?
Content: Both forms fuel the metabolic reactions that allow life to reproduce. Along with energy, we must make sure that any planet has a protective atmosphere that keeps the radiation from a sun out, while still keeping the planet warm. Of course, life also needs nutrients that will help sustain it. The atmosphere of a planet or moon can even provide these. Methane, for instance, can produce carbohydrates and fats, which might contribute to my mandatory- cheese -and-wine planet [source: NASA ]. These systems need to be able to replenish nutrients, which is no problem if your planet has events like volcanic eruptions or weather systems that produce water. But here's the rub: While scientists can pretty confidently assert those things might be necessary for life on Earth, we should remember that we're basing all our assumptions on, well, Earth. We can't know for sure if other planets or moons could be harboring a "life" form that doesn't require the same things Earth-bound systems do.