Biological Role of Carbon
Carbon is ranked 19th in the order of elemental abundance based on weight. It is estimated that the universe contains at least 3.5 times as many carbon atoms as silicon atoms. Except for carbon, only helium, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and neon are naturally abundant in the universe. When helium is burned, the cosmic product is carbon. Three helium nuclei with atomic weight 4 are fused in this process to produce a carbon nucleus with atomic weight 12.
Elemental carbon is a minor complement in the Earth’s crust. Carbon is widely distributed in the form of coal and organic compounds. They are made up of natural gas, petroleum, and plant and animal tissue. Carbon is an essential component of the photosynthesis process. It is a natural chemical reaction sequence that involves the conversion of the carbon cycle to form atmospheric carbon dioxide and carbohydrates.
Carbon
Carbon is a chemical element with the symbol C and atomic number 6. The name of Carbon is derived from the Latin word Carbo meaning ‘coal’. Carbon is a nonmetallic and tetravalent atom, i.e. it forms four covalent bonds with other atoms. Carbon accounts for only about 0.025% of the Earth’s crust. Carbon is the 15th most abundant element in the Earth’s crust and, by mass, the fourth most abundant element in the universe.
In this article, we will learn about, Carbon the properties of carbon, its uses of carbon, and others in detail.
Table of Content
- What is Carbon?
- Properties of Carbon
- Allotropes of Carbon
- Uses of Carbon
- Biological Role of Carbon
- Occurrence of Carbon
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