Eli5 : could there be a life without DNA or RNA on earth ? On other planets ? If yes, how humankind would discover it ?

Question

Eli5 : could there be a life without DNA or RNA on earth ? On other planets ? If yes, how humankind would discover it ?

In: Biology

Answer 1

So at one pont they thought prions where the only things without DNA and RNA but that was disproven a while ago. There is a possiblity if not a certainty that life could exist elsewhere without dna or rna. But what ever
It uses may be close to DNA or RNA but using a different protein. There is also theory that silaca or non carbon biased life could exist which would use nothing even remotely similar to DNA or RNA