There's an entire Wikipedia article on alternative biochemistries [1]. Quoting that page, with regards to Si: However, silicon has several drawbacks as an alte

There's an entire Wikipedia article on alternative biochemistries [1]. Quoting that page, with regards to Si: However, silicon has several drawbacks as an alternative to carbon. Silicon, unlike carbon, lacks the ability to form chemical bonds with diverse types of atoms as is necessary for the chemical versatility required for metabolism. Elements creating organic functional groups with carbon include hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and metals such as iron, magnesium, and zinc. Silicon, on the other hand, interacts with very few other types of atoms [...] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothetical_types_of_biochemistry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothetical_types_of_biochemi...