Carbon is the ubiquitous element. Art, beauty, science and health pivot around the life force of carbon. Carbon is a complex element essential to existence. Explore the nature of carbon, its importance to life, why burnt toast should not be eaten and other fascinating facts.
What is Carbon?
Carbon (C), with the atomic number 6, is the basis of organic chemistry and a fundamental requisite for life on Earth. It exists in various forms, from graphite to diamonds to the bodies of plants and animals..
A non-metallic, chemical element, carbon is the fourth most abundant element in the universe by mass after hydrogen, helium, and oxygen. Known for its remarkable ability to bond with a variety of elements, it forms compounds essential for life.
Carbon can exist in allotropes including diamond, graphite (archaic: black lead), and fullerenes. In chemistry a fullerene is a large spheroidal molecule. consisting of a hollow cage of atoms. Each form has unique physical properties and applications.
Importance of Carbon in Life
Life as we know it hinges on the essence of carbon. It is the backbone of essential molecules like proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids. The interplay of carbon atoms forms the foundation of all known life forms, defining their structure, function and existence.
The unique tetravalency of carbon, meaning it can form four covalent bonds with other atoms, allows for an incredible diversity of chemical structures. This ability is what makes carbon-based life forms so varied and adaptable to different environments.
Carbon is a large part of the body. About 18.5% of an adult human's weight is carbon, primarily in the form of organic compounds in cells. This makes carbon a key component in the molecules of tissues, DNA and metabolic pathways, important to human functions.
Are All Life Forms Carbon-Based?
Yes. Carbon forms the core framework of all organic compounds, constituting the fundamental basis of life. Currently, all known life forms on Earth are carbon-based, relying on carbon's chemistry to form the molecules essential for life.
While silicon has often been proposed as an alternative foundation for life, it lacks the vast range of versatile bonding configurations shown by carbon. Carbon's ability to create stable, complex molecules fosters the diversity of life forms we observe today.
Where to Find Carbon
Carbon is omnipresent in our surroundings, in air and food. It resides in plants, animals, soil, oceans, and the atmosphere, circulating in perpetual cycles. Carbon is everywhere on Earth, in various forms across different environments.
It exists in the atmosphere primarily as carbon dioxide (CO2) and exists in natural deposits as fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas. Carbon compounds abound in living organisms, soil and the ocean, where dissolved carbon influences the chemistry of aquatic ecosystems.
It's found in soot, hardware nails as carbon steel, and burnt toast. The "char" on foods is carbon. Charred food also contains possible carcinogens which form when the food burns.
These are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, or compounds with several hexagonal “benzene rings” fused together) such as naphthalene and benzopyrene; and heterocyclic amines (HCAs).
The benzene ring is visualized by its founder Friedrich August Kekulé in 1865. He dreams of an ouroboros, an alchemical symbol of a snake or snake-like dragon with its tail in its mouth to form a ring. This cracks to the code to the structure of benzene molecules.
However while it makes a good story, the formation of these invisible compounds in burnt food are more than just a carbon black coating. In light of most recent cancer research it's best to avoid eating the burn.
Beauty Treatments Containing Carbon
Known as a "Hollywood Facial" or a "China Doll" treatment, a carbon laser facial is said to diminish visibility of blemishes, imperfections, fine lines and wrinkles while allegedly enhancing skin firmness and overall appearance. As usual intensive marketing and junk science drive the trend.
Side effects include:
Skin redness.
Swelling.
Mild discomfort.
Dryness or flaking.
Temporary hyperpigmentation.
Increased sensitivity to sunlight.
Temporary darkening or lightening of the skin.
Use of charcoal in wound care dates to 1857. Dermatologic uses of charcoal include dressings to prevent odors from wounds, for reduction of uremic itch, and dressings to manage skin graft wound infections.
Soot is historically used mixed with binders such as wax, grease or resins like gum arabic, as body paint and eye liner. It's also the main ingredient in prison tattoos.
Using Carbon as Ink or Pigment
Carbon is popular in inks and pigments. Carbon black, a substance made of fine carbon particles, is commonly used in printing inks, coatings, and plastics due to its deep black color and excellent UV protection.
The artistic mastery of carbon-based pigments dates back to prehistory, with black carbon derived from charcoal or soot being used in cave paintings and for cosmetic purposes. The deep, rich hues derived from carbon-based materials add depth and character to artworks.
Artists can use soot as a paint pigment. Soot, a powdery mass of black particles, is impure carbon. With a binder such as gum arabic it makes ink and paint. Soot is a popular medium before electricity in the late 19th century as a product of burning wood, oil, coal or wax.
What is Carbon Black?
The terms carbon black and soot are often used interchangeably. Carbon black is physically and chemically distinct from soot. More than 97% of carbon black consists of elemental carbon.
Carbon black is a fine natural powder derived from incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons. It's used in diverse industries, from rubber manufacturing to ink production.
Its unique properties such as high tinting strength and UV protection make it an invaluable component in various commercial products. Carbon black is primarily used as a reinforcing filler in rubber products, especially tires, and as a pigment in various applications.
Facts About Carbon
Carbon forms the basis of all known life on Earth, making it fundamental to biological chemistry.
The world’s largest reservoir of carbon is found in sedimentary rocks, primarily in the form of fossil fuels.
Carbon can create more compounds than any other element, exceeding the combined number of compounds formed by all other elements.
The discovery of fullerenes—spherical carbon molecules—expanded our understanding of carbon allotropes and their potential applications in nanotechnology.
Carbon is capable of forming single, double, and triple bonds, leading to an immense variety of organic compounds and structures.
Diamonds, composed of pure carbon, are the hardest naturally occurring substance on Earth.
Graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice, exhibits exceptional strength and conductivity.
Carbon dating, a technique based on the decay of radioactive carbon isotopes, is used to estimate the age of archaeological artifacts and fossils.
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