Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Psalm 139:14 NLT
"In this article we shall look at the gaseous components of our atmosphere: oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. Nitrogen constitutes the major component (approximately 78%) with oxygen following at about 21%, and carbon dioxide at 0.04%. Though carbon dioxide constitutes a minor part of the atmosphere, life, as we know it, could not exist without it. Life depends on all three of these elements being in the gaseous form.
Oxygen has the highest attraction for electrons, or electronegativity, of all the elements except fluorine. This makes oxygen especially well suited as the final electron acceptor in the electron
transport chain of mitochondria, a sub-cellular organelle known as the primary energy producer of the cell. When oxygen combines with another element, referred to as oxidation, more energy is released than when any other element combines, except fluorine. In the cell the energy released is slow and controlled. The process of oxidation involves removal of electrons from reduced carbon compounds. Ultimately, those electrons are combined with oxygen to form water. Before they are passed on to oxygen, however, they are used to do electrochemical work, which enables the cell to make chemical energy in the form of ATP.
However, oxygen gas in the atmosphere is present as a diatomic molecule, O2, making it less reactive at ambient temperatures. Cells have various enzymes that employ transition metals such as iron and copper, used to activate oxygen, making it more reactive. Our atmosphere contains ~21% oxygen. It is estimated that if it contained even 25%, compounds would combust too easily and wildfires would rage out of control; molecules in our tissues would also be oxidized too readily.
Oxygen is required by many organisms that use it primarily as an electron acceptor in the generation of energy. Too much oxygen can be just as detrimental as too little. Various factors in the environment and in the cell can lead to the production of dangerous oxygen free radicals, which damage the cell; however, in the cell there are various enzymes designed to deal with these radicals.
biomolecules contain nitrogen atoms. However, humans and animals do not have a means to extract it from the atmosphere and make use of it like we do with oxygen and carbon dioxide. Many plants, on the other hand, have nitrogen-fixing bacteria on their roots that can “fix” nitrogen by incorporating it into various biomolecules.
When we eat, we derive our nitrogen from the food, and are then able to generate many of our own nitrogen-containing molecules. Genesis 1 tells us the Lord created all plant life to be a source of food for all animals. This dependence is a design feature of our planet.
Carbon dioxide is a gas and is ubiquitous. Along with water, it is the metabolic end products of the complete combustion of biofuel molecules by cells. In the atmosphere it constitutes about 0.04% of the total pressure, or about 0.228 mmHg. The solubility of CO2 in water is greater than that of oxygen; approximately 1.3 to 1.7 g CO2/kg water in the temperature range of 20 to 30°C. This means that CO2 gas can easily enter and leave water. Thus, wherever water is, there will also be CO2; the two are inextricably linked. In this way carbon can easily be distributed throughout the biosphere in the carbon cycle.
The pH is a measure of the free proton (H+) concentration in a solution. The maintenance of a stable pH within bodily fluids and cells is essential to all life; virtually all life processes depend on stable pH conditions. Acids tend to give off H+s, and bases tend to pick up H+s. Thus it is imperative that there be some means to prevent shifts in pH that would compromise metabolic function; there must be compounds that can either give off or pick up H+s as needed in order to buffer against wide changes in pH. Large changes in pH can lead to denaturation of proteins, altered charge states of enzymes and/or their substrates, and cause proteins to precipitate out of solution. Metabolism tends to generate compounds that are acidic. Consequently, cells and body fluids would easily become acidified to the point that life would cease. However, our wise Creator designed our systems such that the two end products of complete combustion of fuel molecules are the innocuous water molecule and CO2.
Carbon dioxide is essential to all life on earth. Carbon dioxide aids in the delivery of O2 to cells in the body and is responsible for maintaining a near neutral pH in the blood as well as in the oceans. It is essential to the process of photosynthesis by plants." AIG
"In this article we shall look at the gaseous components of our atmosphere: oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. Nitrogen constitutes the major component (approximately 78%) with oxygen following at about 21%, and carbon dioxide at 0.04%. Though carbon dioxide constitutes a minor part of the atmosphere, life, as we know it, could not exist without it. Life depends on all three of these elements being in the gaseous form.
Oxygen (O2)
All organisms need energy for growth and maintenance.Oxygen has the highest attraction for electrons, or electronegativity, of all the elements except fluorine. This makes oxygen especially well suited as the final electron acceptor in the electron
However, oxygen gas in the atmosphere is present as a diatomic molecule, O2, making it less reactive at ambient temperatures. Cells have various enzymes that employ transition metals such as iron and copper, used to activate oxygen, making it more reactive. Our atmosphere contains ~21% oxygen. It is estimated that if it contained even 25%, compounds would combust too easily and wildfires would rage out of control; molecules in our tissues would also be oxidized too readily.
Oxygen is required by many organisms that use it primarily as an electron acceptor in the generation of energy. Too much oxygen can be just as detrimental as too little. Various factors in the environment and in the cell can lead to the production of dangerous oxygen free radicals, which damage the cell; however, in the cell there are various enzymes designed to deal with these radicals.
Nitrogen (N2)
Nitrogen comprises about 78% of the atmospheric gases. Nitrogen is essential to life as almost all
When we eat, we derive our nitrogen from the food, and are then able to generate many of our own nitrogen-containing molecules. Genesis 1 tells us the Lord created all plant life to be a source of food for all animals. This dependence is a design feature of our planet.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
The pH is a measure of the free proton (H+) concentration in a solution. The maintenance of a stable pH within bodily fluids and cells is essential to all life; virtually all life processes depend on stable pH conditions. Acids tend to give off H+s, and bases tend to pick up H+s. Thus it is imperative that there be some means to prevent shifts in pH that would compromise metabolic function; there must be compounds that can either give off or pick up H+s as needed in order to buffer against wide changes in pH. Large changes in pH can lead to denaturation of proteins, altered charge states of enzymes and/or their substrates, and cause proteins to precipitate out of solution. Metabolism tends to generate compounds that are acidic. Consequently, cells and body fluids would easily become acidified to the point that life would cease. However, our wise Creator designed our systems such that the two end products of complete combustion of fuel molecules are the innocuous water molecule and CO2.
Carbon dioxide is essential to all life on earth. Carbon dioxide aids in the delivery of O2 to cells in the body and is responsible for maintaining a near neutral pH in the blood as well as in the oceans. It is essential to the process of photosynthesis by plants." AIG
