The Importance of carbon in living things Is based on the fact that it is the chemical element on which the existence of life is based. Its ability to form polymers makes it an ideal partner for molecules that generate life.
Carbon is a key chemical element for life and the natural processes that take place on earth. It is the sixth most abundant element in the universe, participating in formations and astronomical reactions.
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On Earth, carbon is abundant and its properties allow it to bond with other elements such as oxygen and hydrogen, forming molecular compounds of great importance.
Carbon is a light element, and its presence in living beings is fundamental, as it is harnessed and manipulated by the enzymes of organic systems.
The human body is composed of 18% carbon, and it has been estimated that all organic life on earth is based on the presence of carbon.
Some theories speculate that if there was life in another part of the Universe, it would also have a great presence of carbon in its composition.
Carbon is the fundamental element for the formation of components such as proteins and carbohydrates, as well as in the physiological functioning of the living body.
Despite being a natural element, carbon is also present in the reactions and chemical interventions that have made the man, providing new benefits.
Why is carbon important in living things?
chemical composition of living being
Because living things are the result of a set of chemical reactions at a given time and, as mentioned, carbon plays a fundamental role in these reactions, it would be impossible to conceive of life without the presence of this element.
The versatility of carbon has allowed it to be present in cellular and microorganic processes that give rise to the essential components of the body: fats, proteins, lipids that help the formation of neurological systems and nucleic acids that through DNA store the Genetic code of each individual.
It is also present in all those elements that living things consume to obtain energy and guarantee their life.
Atmospheric importance
Carbon, in the form of carbon dioxide, is a naturally present gas at the atmospheric level.
Carbon dioxide prevents the internal temperature of the earth from escaping, and its constant presence allows its absorption by other beings to perform their feeding cycles.
It is a key component to maintaining the various levels of life found on the planet. However, at unnatural levels caused by excessive emission by man, it may end up containing too much temperature, greenhouse effect . Even so, it would be decisive for the preservation of life under these new conditions.
Carbon transfer between living things
The food order of the Ecosystems Is closely related to the carbon transfer occurring between living beings involved in those interactions.
Animals, for example, often obtain carbon from Primary producers And transfer it to all those above the chain.
In the end, the carbon is returned to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, where it happens to participate in some other organic process.
Cellular respiration
Carbon, along with hydrogen and oxygen, contributes to the process of energy release through glucose within the body, producing Adenosine triphosphate, considered the energy source at the cellular level.
Carbon facilitates the process of glucose oxidation and energy release, converting itself into carbon dioxide and being expelled from the body.
Photosynthesis
Another cellular phenomenon of universal importance is that of which only plants are capable: photosynthesis ; The integration of the energy absorbed directly from the Sun with the carbon they absorb from the atmospheric environment.
The result of this process is the food of plants and the extension of their life cycle.
Photosynthesis not only guarantees plant life, but also contributes to keeping the thermal and atmospheric levels under certain control, as well as providing other living beings with food.
Carbon is key in photosynthesis, as well as in the natural cycle around living things.
Animal respiration
Although the animals can not obtain direct energy from the Sun For their food, almost all the foods they can consume have a high carbon presence in their composition.
This consumption of carbon-based food generates in animals a process that results in the production of energy for life.
The supply of carbon in animals through food allows the continuous production of cells in these beings.
At the end of the process, the animals can release the carbon as waste, in the form of carbon dioxide, which is then absorbed by the plants to perform their own processes.
Natural decomposition
Living beings act as large stores of carbon during their lifetime; The atoms are always working in the continuous regeneration of the most basic components of the body.
Once the being dies, the carbon begins a new process to be returned to the environment and reused.
There are small organisms called disintegrators or Decomposers , Which are found both on land and in water, and which are responsible for consuming the remains of the body lifeless and storing the carbon atoms and then releasing them into the environment.
Ocean regulator
Carbon is also present in the large oceanic bodies of the planet, usually in the form of bicarbonate ions; Result of the dissolution of the carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere.
The carbon is subjected to a reaction which causes it to pass from the gaseous state to the liquid state and then to become bicarbonate ions.
In the oceans, bicarbonate ions function as pH regulators, necessary for the creation of ideal chemical conditions that contribute to the formation of marine life of various sizes, accommodating the food chains of oceanic species.
Carbon can be released from the ocean into the atmosphere through the ocean surface; However these quantities are very small.
References
- Brown, S. (2002). Measuring, monitoring, and verification of carbon benefits for forest-based projects. Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society , 1669-1683.
- Pappas, S. (August 9, 2014). Facts about Carbon . Retrieved from"Live Science: livescience.com"
- Samsa, F. (s.f.). Why Is Carbon Important to Living Organisms? Obtained from Hunker: hunker.com
- Singer, G. (s.f.). What Does Carbon Do for Human Bodies? Obtained from HealthyLiving: healthyliving.azcentral.com
- Wilfred M. Post, W.R., Zinke, P.J., & Stangenberger, A.G. (1982). Soil carbon pools and world life zones. Nature , 156-159.