Life from stars, Abiogenesis, and God

Well, actually it is mostly minerals, sand silt and clay. The organic component is usually 1-5 %
But, I’ll give you poetic license.

However, organic matter is largely carbon-based of course, along with hydrogen and oxygen but does have trace quantities of nitrogen, phosphorous, sulphur, potassium, calcium and magnesium.

Plants convert carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and change it into oxygen. When they decompose the carbon base is residual and that is why soil is carbon-based. Our planet is carbon-based. Carbon is released from fossil fuels and our breath etc.

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You hit the nail on the head ( note there is no actual nail and I am speaking figuratively :grin:)

Carbon is certainly essential as the bones of life, but it would be more accurate to say the biosphere is carbon based, as carbon is actually a pretty small component of the planet, percentage wise. I think wikipedia puts it at about the 15th most common element in the crust.

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Facts about carbon

And thank you for pointing that out , the figures I had in mind was total organic matter of topsoil averages , I think it came to 50- 58% carbon …still looking for the info I originally found a few years ago …
I will post it if I can track it down .

So yes , I misspoke .

I should have said " the bulk of organic matter in topsoil " is carbon …

Even this is from old notes , I fully admit my original comment was mistaken .bear with me brothers , I am getting old .

When it is said that the planet and most all upon or in it is carbon-based this means that it is the key component of all life forms. This is found through the complex molecules that are bonded to the basis of those life forms via carbon, thus it is the major key building block. All life on earth is carbon-based and it also forms a large biomass.

http://www.fao.org/forestry/17111/en/