Cellular Components: Bioelements, Organic & Inorganic
Protoplasmic Components: When a substance has a single type of atom, that substance is an element. Substances are made up of different atom unions, i.e., they are mostly chemical compounds. Almost fifty elements have been found in protoplasm. Among the elements that are part of the living world, there is an almost complete dominance of a few, known as bioelements. Elements in very small amounts that are essential for living things are called trace elements. Bioelements are more suitable for life
Read MoreUnderstanding Chemical Equilibrium: Factors and Principles
Chemical Equilibrium: Definition
Chemical Equilibrium: The condition where the forward and reverse reaction rates are equal.
Homogeneous Equilibrium
Homogeneous equilibrium: A state in which reactants and products are in the same phase and physical state.
Law of Mass Action
Law of mass action: This law states that the equilibrium constant is the ratio of the product of the concentrations of the products raised to their respective stoichiometric coefficients, divided by the product of the concentrations
Read MoreUnderstanding Sulfate: Impacts on Water & Health
Sulfate: Understanding Its Presence and Effects
The sulfate ion (SO42-) is one of the major anions found in natural waters. Most sulfates are soluble in water, except for lead sulfate, barium sulfate, and strontium sulfate. Sulfate has various commercial applications, including in metallurgical industries as a reagent, and in the manufacturing of products like copper sulfate, which is used as a fungicide and algaecide. Sulfate also occurs naturally in soil, sediments, and rocks. Sulfates are discharged
Read MoreUnderstanding Oxidation-Reduction (Redox) Reactions
Oxidation: Gain of O2, loss of H, loss of electrons. Reduction: The reverse of oxidation. Oxidant: Element that oxidizes a compound. Reductant: Element that reduces a compound. Oxidation Number (Ox. No.): The charge an atom would have in a molecule or ion if electrons were completely transferred, as if they were free ions. Elements in their natural state have an oxidation number of zero. In monatomic ions, the oxidation number equals the charge of the ion. The oxidation number of O is usually -2
Read MoreWater, Salts, Lipids, Proteins, and Nucleic Acids: Functions
Key Biological Molecules and Their Functions
Water is the most abundant molecule in living things, generally comprising about 75% of weight. Chemically, it’s a molecule formed by one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms. Due to oxygen’s electronegativity, the molecule has a region of negative charge around the oxygen and positive charges around the hydrogens. This bipolar nature causes water molecules to bond with each other and other molecules through electrostatic interactions, known as hydrogen
Read MoreAtomic Theory: From Democritus to Modern Understanding
Atomic Theory: A Historical Perspective
Democritus: Postulated the existence of atoms, suggesting that matter is discrete.
Aristotle: Denied the existence of atoms, proposing that matter is continuous.
Lavoisier (1777): Using a scale, he measured mass by weighing and established the Law of Conservation of Mass.
Mass and energy are related: E = mc² (Energy can be converted to mass and vice versa).
Dalton’s Atomic Theory (1880)
John Dalton postulated:
- Matter consists of atoms, which are structural units