BIOLOGY 110 (N0N-LAB)

EFRAIN FUENTES

ESSAY QUIZ 2

SHARON MARUSIAK

15 MARCH 2015

Nitrogen is an essential part of everyday life as it can be found in products such as ammonia, steel manufacturing, and coolant. It is also found in the atmosphere, soil nutrients, and oil and petroleum refineries. The element characterizes of nitrogen are colorless, tasteless, and odorless. These very qualities are what make nitrogen unique and desirable aspect to use in a wide array of products. Isotopes are any of the forms of a chemical element in which there are the same number of protons, but a different number of neutrons. This factor is used to determine the ionic state of not only nitrogen, but other chemical elements as well. Water is the most integral part of organic and natural life, as it is needed for all living things to survive. The importance of water can be seen around the world, as nearly 70 percent of the Earth is taken up by water. Even greater than this, water possesses four unique qualities that make it central to life. These four qualities are cohesion and adhesion attributes the low density of ice, temperature moderation, and the ability to dissolve other substances. Cohesion and adhesion allows for similar molecules to bond together to water at a much stronger ability than other liquids and is an essential contributor in organizing and maintaining substantial molecules. The low density of water to ice allows for ice to float in water. Temperature moderation allows for rivers, lakes, and oceans to cool nearby areas of land. The ability to dissolve other substances allows for water to be the main solvent in plants and cells. Aqueous solutions can be described as solutions that are solvent in water. Some examples of aqueous solutions are soda, rain, urine, sweet tea, and hydrochloric acid. The pH scale is used a measurement tool in deciphering the acidic or basic level of a particular substance. The scale is arranged in numerical order from 0 to 14, with 0 being the most acidic and 14 being the most alkaline. The number 7 is representative of the most “neutralized” substance within the scale. Within the realm of aqueous solutions, gastric acid is the most acidic, distilled water is at 7, and bleach is the most alkaline. Though the scale is arranged from numbers 0 to 14, many scientists have argued the pH scale could be more developed to give a more accurate description of substances (Grunwald, 2014). Enzymes serve a catalyst, increasing the efficiency and speed of a chemical reaction, for biochemical reactions. Enzymes are made of various structures and amino acids. Nearly twenty percent of the human body is