Vitalism vs. Mechanism

Vitalism is the religious belief that life stems from supernatural forces.  Mechanism isthe scientific dogma that life exists because of the emergent properties of the internal processes of a living organism.

Stanley Miller was the first to synthesize DNA from nonliving components (raw elements).

Information on Carbon

Four valence electrons allow for the tetrahedral molecules that it is capable of forming.  Hydrocarbons only contain H and C (eg. fat and petroleum).

More On Isomers:  Three Types are structural (same chemical formula but different physical structure), geometric (different spatial arrangements about a double bond), and enantiomers (mirror image isomers).