We think of oxygen as a literal breath of life, livelihood, fresh air. But this is actually a very reactive element. any person Burned a log Have already seen this. So do so many life-form breathe oxygen?
Perhaps there are thousands of types of metabolism, or chemical processes that maintain life, said Donald canfieldA geologist at the University of Southern Denmark, but “virtually all eukaryotes” Prokaryocytes (Life-forms have a nucleus deficiency), use oxygen.
Canfield is mainly talking about creatures, including heterotroph – organisms, who get their nutrients and energy by consuming other organic materials. Not all creatures do this. For example, “plants get their carbon from CO2 in the air,” Dan millsA postdotoral researcher at the University of Munich.
Heterotrophs snatched electrons and broke organic matter in food. They are passed into the membrane of mitochondria from one enzyme to another, which produces a small stream that pumps protons into this barrier. And given its high electron emotion, oxygen usually acts as the last station on it. electron transport chainTo accept electrons and raise two protons to make water.
The process essentially forms a reservoir of protons that then flood through a protein channel in the membrane -like membrane like a small hydroelectric dam. And, like a turbine, protein synthesizes energy as adenosine trifossfate (ATP). Nick laneProfessor of Evolutionary Biochemistry at University College London, A Public presentationThe cell can then use this packed energy or send it to the body to do things.
Life can use many Other electron acceptor -Salfate, nitrate and iron-like-but oxygen is the highest-energy acceptor available.
Professor of Professor University, Washington, “Oxygen deficiency provides the greatest free energy release according to the transfer of fluorine and chlorine.” David cataling And his co-writers explained in one paper Published in the journal Astronomy,
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Chlorine and oxygen can generate equal amounts of energy. Fluorine can certainly provide more energy than oxygen, but “Florine is useless as a biological oxidant (…) because it generates an explosion in contact with organic matter,” he wrote in the study. This is not a gas you want to breathe.
Chlorine and fluorine are also poisonous, which exposes another benefit of oxygen. Aerobic respiration does not produce any toxic compound, simply water and carbon dioxide. However, oxygen reaction can be an issue if it makes in tissues, where it can damage cellular components such as DNA and protein. So Antioxidant in restraint,Good for our health.
Oxygen is much abundant than innumerable electron acceptors used in fluorine, chlorine or other forms of breath. Despite its possibility to create a compound with other atoms, an abundant production of oxygen is continuously produced PhotosynthesisThis enables it to accumulate in the atmosphere and dissolve in water, where it is easily available for life. And, as a gas, it is easy to transport beyond membrane, canfield and mills.
Talking about abundance, why nitrogen is not used, including 78% of the Earth’s atmosphere?
“The main problem with nitrogen is that it is Triple Bandhua,” Canfield said. “And it is very difficult to break.”
Canfield stated that nitrogen is an important component of many biological compounds, and there are entire groups of organisms that specialize in energy-intensive processes, which is necessary to break the strong bonds of nitrogen.
The unique utility of oxygen comes down Quantum physicsOxygen in its normal ground stage can accept electrons in only one spin state, not as an electron pair, which is a normal currency chemistry,
Lane told live science in an email, “Therefore the real move for oxygen is that it can accumulate up to high levels without a response, but is fed to electrons at a time at a time (to pump protons).”
So it seems that oxygen sits in a sweet place of reactivity and availability. It is more than Halogen Such as chlorine and fluorine, and it is not very strongly bound like nitrogen. But it is much more reactive than other electron acceptors such as sulfate and nitrate.
Oxygen is easy to acquire, and it does not produce toxic compounds that require further processes. What is more, plants produce abundant gas through photosynthesis, which is able to use it to fuel our body.
