Originally posted by GreatTech
Since hydrogen and its isotopes partly created our lives and partly sustains our lives, does it remain pure by itself, pure in combination with other element isotopes, impure by itself, and/or impure in combination with other element isotopes?
I have heard that the conservation of matter is violated in certain conditions. As such, we can have the right element isotope composition for a permanent life on Earth, but our elements are degrading or disappearing. What is this "degrading" factor? Which particles substitute in space-time for this "degrading" factor?
Now, keep in mind I was an organic and biochemist in college, not a physical chemist, but we did work often with isotopes. Isotopes, in and of themselves, are not the same; they have a difference typically of just a few neutrons creating a heavier or lighter atom with different reactive properties. As such, some isotopes of elements will NOT be incorporated into your system due to those differences in reactive properties. Some isotopes are close enough (P-34 and P-35) and will be able to be used in proteins.
For the most part, the original post seems like pseudo-science drivel. Our elements are not "degrading or disappearing", and there is no "degrading factor". Anytime an atom degrades, it can only occur through radiation, which is the expulsion of a subatomic particle. This only occurs in radioactive elements in nature, and will NOT occur if the element is bound in larger molecule, as is the case 90% of the time in nature. Rarely will you find deposits of any pure element. It is typically found either in some sort of ionic network in the case of some metals, or in a binary compound.
MFP

