Silicon-Based Life? Silicon is in the same group of the periodic table as carbon and, like carbon, can form up to four single bonds. Many science fiction stories have been based on the premise of silicon- based life. Is this realistic? What characteristics of silicon make it less well adapted than carbon as the central organizing element for life? To answer this question, consider what you have learned about car- bon's bonding versatility, and refer to a beginning inorganic chemistry textbook for silicon's bonding properties.