And why arent some others?
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Carbon is fairly unique in that it has the ability to bond with up to four other atoms, and can bond _with itself_ while still leaving an opportunity for other bonds.
This means that carbon can form long chains of molecules – something that almost no other atom is capable of doing. Those long chains are the basis for the proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, etc. that are critical elements of all life as we know it. Carbon can basically form the scaffolding for molecules, and that is as unique as it is critical.
There are other atoms that can form bonds like this – silicon is a good example – so we _theorize_ that silicon-based life _might_ be possible. The problem is that silicon is significantly larger than carbon, and the size of the silicon atom interferes with the creation of those chains. Silicon is also fairly inert at the temperatures we typically see life, so it might only exist in very high temperatures.
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