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- The molecular makeup of all living things is determined by the size and shape of carbon molecules. Unlike other elements, carbon has the unique ability to form a variety of bonds with itself and many other elements which make it the perfect foundation of all life forms. We often describe carbon as the building block of living organisms.
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What is carbon - the chemical basis for life?
Carbon. Why is carbon so basic to life? The reason is carbon’s ability to form stable bonds with many elements, including itself. This property allows carbon to form a huge variety of very large and complex molecules. In fact, there are nearly 10 million carbon-based compounds in living things!
- 2.18: Carbon - The Chemical Basis for Life - Biology LibreTexts
Carbon’s molecular structure allows it to bond in many...
- 2.4: Carbon - Biology LibreTexts
The unique properties of carbon make it a central part of...
- 2.18: Carbon - The Chemical Basis for Life - Biology LibreTexts
Oct 31, 2023 · Carbon’s molecular structure allows it to bond in many different ways and with many different elements. The carbon cycle shows how carbon moves through the living and non-living parts of the environment.
- Overview
- Properties and uses
- Production of elemental carbon
carbon (C), nonmetallic chemical element in Group 14 (IVa) of the periodic table. Although widely distributed in nature, carbon is not particularly plentiful—it makes up only about 0.025 percent of Earth’s crust—yet it forms more compounds than all the other elements combined. In 1961 the isotope carbon-12 was selected to replace oxygen as the stan...
On a weight basis, carbon is 19th in order of elemental abundance in Earth’s crust, and there are estimated to be 3.5 times as many carbon atoms as silicon atoms in the universe. Only hydrogen, helium, oxygen, neon, and nitrogen are atomically more abundant in the cosmos than carbon. Carbon is the cosmic product of the “burning” of helium, in which three helium nuclei, atomic weight 4, fuse to produce a carbon nucleus, atomic weight 12.
In the crust of Earth, elemental carbon is a minor component. However, carbon compounds (i.e., carbonates of magnesium and calcium) form common minerals (e.g., magnesite, dolomite, marble, or limestone). Coral and the shells of oysters and clams are primarily calcium carbonate. Carbon is widely distributed as coal and in the organic compounds that constitute petroleum, natural gas, and all plant and animal tissue. A natural sequence of chemical reactions called the carbon cycle—involving conversion of atmospheric carbon dioxide to carbohydrates by photosynthesis in plants, the consumption of these carbohydrates by animals and oxidation of them through metabolism to produce carbon dioxide and other products, and the return of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere—is one of the most important of all biological processes.
Carbon as an element was discovered by the first person to handle charcoal from fire. Thus, together with sulfur, iron, tin, lead, copper, mercury, silver, and gold, carbon was one of the small group of elements well known in the ancient world. Modern carbon chemistry dates from the development of coals, petroleum, and natural gas as fuels and from the elucidation of synthetic organic chemistry, both substantially developed since the 1800s.
Britannica Quiz
118 Names and Symbols of the Periodic Table Quiz
Elemental carbon exists in several forms, each of which has its own physical characteristics. Two of its well-defined forms, diamond and graphite, are crystalline in structure, but they differ in physical properties because the arrangements of the atoms in their structures are dissimilar. A third form, called fullerene, consists of a variety of molecules composed entirely of carbon. Spheroidal, closed-cage fullerenes are called buckerminsterfullerenes, or “buckyballs,” and cylindrical fullerenes are called nanotubes. A fourth form, called Q-carbon, is crystalline and magnetic. Yet another form, called amorphous carbon, has no crystalline structure. Other forms—such as carbon black, charcoal, lampblack, coal, and coke—are sometimes called amorphous, but X-ray examination has revealed that these substances do possess a low degree of crystallinity. Diamond and graphite occur naturally on Earth, and they also can be produced synthetically; they are chemically inert but do combine with oxygen at high temperatures, just as amorphous carbon does. Fullerene was serendipitously discovered in 1985 as a synthetic product in the course of laboratory experiments to simulate the chemistry in the atmosphere of giant stars. It was later found to occur naturally in tiny amounts on Earth and in meteorites. Q-carbon is also synthetic, but scientists have speculated that it could form within the hot environments of some planetary cores.
Until 1955 all diamonds were obtained from natural deposits, most significant in southern Africa but occurring also in Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, and Siberia. The single known source in the United States, in Arkansas, has no commercial importance; nor is India, once a source of fine diamonds, a significant present-day supplier. The primary source of diamonds is a soft bluish peridotic rock called kimberlite (after the famous deposit at Kimberley, South Africa), found in volcanic structures called pipes, but many diamonds occur in alluvial deposits presumably resulting from the weathering of primary sources. Isolated finds around the world in regions where no sources are indicated have not been uncommon.
Natural deposits are worked by crushing, by gravity and flotation separations, and by removal of diamonds by their adherence to a layer of grease on a suitable table. The following products result: (1) diamond proper—distorted cubic crystalline gem-quality stones varying from colourless to red, pink, blue, green, or yellow; (2) bort—minute dark crystals of abrasive but not gem quality; (3) ballas—randomly oriented crystals of abrasive quality; (4) macles—triangular pillow-shaped crystals that are industrially useful; and (5) carbonado—mixed diamond–graphite crystallites containing other impurities.
The successful laboratory conversion of graphite to diamond was made in 1955. The procedure involved the simultaneous use of extremely high pressure and temperature with iron as a solvent or catalyst. Subsequently, chromium, manganese, cobalt, nickel, and tantalum were substituted for iron. Synthetic diamonds are now manufactured in several countries and are being used increasingly in place of natural materials as industrial abrasives.
Graphite occurs naturally in many areas, the deposits of major importance being in China, India, Brazil, Turkey, Mexico, Canada, Russia, and Madagascar. Both surface- and deep-mining techniques are used, followed by flotation, but the major portion of commercial graphite is produced by heating petroleum coke in an electric furnace. A better crystallized form, known as pyrolytic graphite, is obtained from the decomposition of low-molecular-weight hydrocarbons by heat. Graphite fibres of considerable tensile strength are obtained by carbonizing natural and synthetic organic fibres.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Dec 18, 2021 · The unique properties of carbon make it a central part of biological molecules. Carbon binds to oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen covalently to form the many molecules important for cellular function. Carbon has four electrons in its outermost shell and can form four bonds. Carbon and hydrogen can form hydrocarbon chains or rings.
This comprehensive guide explores its discovery, unique physical and chemical properties, varied applications in industry and medicine, and its indispensable role in biological systems. Learn why carbon is not just another element but a cornerstone of many scientific disciplines.
Why is carbon important to life? The molecular makeup of all living things is determined by the size and shape of carbon molecules. Unlike other elements, carbon has the unique ability to form a variety of bonds with itself and many other elements which make it the perfect foundation of all life forms. We often ...
Explain why carbon is important for life. Describe the role of functional groups in biological molecules. Cells are made of many complex molecules called macromolecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids (RNA and DNA), carbohydrates, and lipids.
