what is the most important industrial process
Haber process
- produces ammonia
what gases are a feature of urban smog and acid rain
nitrogen oxides
what is used as a mild anesthetic in dentistry
Nitrous oxide
N20
laughing gas
why is nitrogen ubiquitous in biology
appears in 22 natural amino acids
Nitrogen cycle
- nitrogen ‘fixed’ from the air by organisms and released again in a cycle
- many of the bacteria use enzymes with Mo in the active site
- plants make proteins from nitrates
how do cells store energy
high energy biomolecule
ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is transformed to ADP (the diphosphate)
structures of bones and teeth
- collagen protein forms semi-flexible rod like scaffolding
fluoride relation to teeth
fluoride is a hard Lewis Base like OH- and is added to water/toothpaste to harden teeth
iron
core of haemoglobin metalloprotein is a Fe complex with haeme b and histidine
Hb binds oxygen and transports it around the body
zinc
essential dietary element
Zn 2+ (zinc ion)
- critical to folding of zinc finger proteins
- regulate gene transcription
- used to stabilise insulin in solution
- component of many barrier creams
cobalt
central atom of vitamin B12
copper dependent enzymes - example and use
example: cytochrome c
use; act as antioxidants
