August 31, 2007
Atoms of life – Nitrogen
Life on the earth is related with many unique properties of the chemical compound on the planet.
One of the parameters is the presence on nitrogen molecules in the earth atmosphere. This gas is almost inert and it is very difficult to make any reaction with this gas. This makes a good mixture with oxygen to protect all organic compounds from immediate oxidation.
Another interesting property of this gas – its ability to produce organic molecules under electric sparkles. According to our knowledge, the electric sparkles together with dominating in earth atmosphere nitrogen many million years ago are produce first nitrogen organic compounds, which were sort of bricks for starting life.
In modern organism nitrogen is involved into almost all organic compounds. For example, nitrogen is a involved into formation of the amino acids – building blocks for all the protein and peptides in any living matter. Nitrogen is involved into construction of the all bases of the deoxyribonucleic and ribonucleic acids. These acids, also known as DNA and RNA – is a matrices for information about all life.