Earth Science: Chemistry – Organic and Biochemistry – Biotechnology Biotechnology is a rather young field of technological applications, yet some of its methods are much older. As early as the fifth millennium B.C., the inhabitants of Mesopotamia utilized the capability of certain microorganisms to brew beer from cereal grains, and the ancient Egyptians also knew … Read more
Earth Science: Chemistry – Organic and Biochemistry – Amino Acids Hair and fingernails are external and visible structures made of proteins, which play an important role in almost all biological processes that take place in the human body. As early as 1836, the Swedish chemist Jons Jacob Berzelius (1779-1848) coined the term proteins (from the … Read more
Earth Science: Chemistry – Organic and biochemistry – Nucleic Acids: Molecular Building Blocks Our sex, the color of our eyes, and all other characteristics are stored in our hereditary material. This task is handled by four molecules: adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine. Up to about 150 years ago, scientists believed that hereditary information was stored … Read more
Earth Science: Chemistry – Organic and Biochemistry – Carbon Carbon has an unusual characteristic: It is the only element that can form chains and rings on its own, using single or multiple bonds. The compounds it forms with hydrogen are the basis of modern organic chemistry. Its original task, interaction with living matter, has nowadays … Read more
Earth Science: Chemistry – Organic and Biochemistry Molecules are particles composed of two or more atoms bonded together. They can include only a single element or a combination of elements. Every living thing is made of molecules, most of which contain the element carbon. With its endless variety of combinational possibilities, carbon forms the basic … Read more
