Would life be able to evolve in a world where the most prevelant oxidizer is flouride rather than oxygen? If so, how might their respiration take place compared to animals on earth?
In a hypothetical world where the most prevalent oxidizer is fluoride rather than oxygen, it is possible that life could evolve. However, it would likely be very different from life as we know it on Earth.

Fluoride is a potent oxidizing agent, and life forms in such an environment might evolve to take advantage of this. These organisms could use biochemistry based on fluorine-containing compounds rather than the carbon-oxygen-based biochemistry we see on Earth.

Respiration in these hypothetical life forms might rely on a redox reaction involving fluorine instead of oxygen. In Earth-based life, respiration generally consists of the reduction of molecular oxygen (O2) to water (H2O) and the oxidation of an organic compound (e.g., glucose). In fluoride-based biochemistry, the respiratory process could involve reducing a fluorine-containing combination and oxidizing a different fluorine-based organic compound.

One possibility is that these organisms could use metal fluorides as electron acceptors in their respiratory process, similar to how Earth-based life uses metal oxides (e.g., iron or manganese oxides) in anaerobic respiration. In this case, the respiratory process might involve the transfer of electrons from a reduced, fluorine-containing organic compound to the metal fluoride, reducing the metal and producing a different fluorine-containing compound as a byproduct.

It's important to note that this is purely speculative, as we have no examples of such life forms on Earth or elsewhere. The development of life based on fluoride biochemistry would likely face numerous challenges, such as the high reactivity and potential toxicity of fluorine-containing compounds. However, considering how life might evolve in a completely different chemical environment is an interesting thought experiment.