Would bio-chemistry differences prevent alien life forms from utilizing Terran life f

[Moontanman]

If life from Earth were exposed to alien life would there be a danger of cross infection of these life forms or would they more likely be different enough for this not to be a problem?

[nutronjon]

Originally Posted by Moontanman

If life from Earth were exposed to alien life would there be a danger of cross infection of these life forms or would they more likely be different enough for this not to be a problem?

On earth there are life forms that are not in danger of getting diseases like small pox, and disease that decimated indigenous people. I think we might begin answering your question with what we know of life forms on earth, but I do know enough to take this any further.

[Moontanman]

Originally Posted by nutronjon

On earth there are life forms that are not in danger of getting diseases like small pox, and disease that decimated indigenous people. I think we might begin answering your question with what we know of life forms on earth, but I do know enough to take this any further.

Actually that is a very good way of looking at the problem, diseases co-evolve with their hosts. Even a disease that jumps from one animals to another does so by being in contact with the new host for very long periods of time before being able to make the jump. Humans suffer from many diseases that come from animals we spend much time in intimate contact with. We used to keep farm animals in our houses in the winter, exposing them to our diseases and us to theirs on a long term continuous basis. This where many if not most diseases come from. Not some odd virus that appears out of no where.