The Element of Life, Coal, and Diamonds : Carbon
Carbon—element number 6—is the most versatile element in the periodic table. The singular ability of carbon atoms to form an incredibly diverse number of compounds is due to the ability of carbon atoms to form strong covalent bonds with other carbon atoms and to do so such that long chains and rings of atoms can form. Because the molecules that comprise living organisms—sugars, starches, fats, oils, proteins, and nucleic acids—are based on carbon, carbon is the “element of life,” and substances that contain at least carbon and hydrogen are called organic compounds. In fact, scientists do not know of any living organisms that do not contain carbon. In addition to the molecules of life, carbon has an important role in inorganic chemistry. Coal and diamond both represent elemental forms (allotropes) of carbon, and car-bon dioxide is one of the most important gases in Earth’s atmosphere. THE ASTROPHYSICS OF CARBON A young star fuses hydrogen into helium—a process called “hydrogen ...
