Discuss Why Carbon Is Essential To Life On Earth (150 Minimum Response)

Improved Essays
Unit 2 Project

In your own words Discuss why carbon is essential to life on Earth. (150 word minimum response)
Carbon is a vital element in organic compounds. Organic compounds are compounds that are usually located in living things.Organic compounds are very vital and Carbon is an elemnt that makes up organic compounds. Carbon helps organic compounds make up cells and carry out important life functions.Additionally, carbon can form strong bonds with itself and many other elements. This unique characteristic permits carbon to make diverse, large, and complex molecules. Furthermore, many components in the human body consist of carbon, such as water, protein, DNA and many more. Life processes and functions could not work if there was no carbon.Carbon forms complex, large, and diverse compounds. As a result, life on earth would not be possible without carbon. As technology grows, carbon based energy, or carbon fuel is also used in many
…show more content…
The temperature is too low inside many living things, which makes it hard for biochemical reactions to happen at a faster rate. Enzymes help biochemical reactions speed up.An enzyme works by lowering the amount of activation energy needed to start a chemical reaction.Activation energy is the minimum amount of energy needed for the reactants to begin a chemical reaction. Normally, biochemical reactions would take many days, but with enzymes doing their job correctly, the same reaction is able to happen in seconds. The different jobs that Enzymes do rely on the temperature, ionic conditions, and PH level of the environment.Enzymes work in different environments. For instance, some enzymes function better with acidic PHs while others are better in less acidic, or neutral surroundings. In many organisms, enzymes are extremely important because the various biochemical reactions occurring in the organisms need enzymes to speed up the chemical

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    Aim: This is an investigation to establish the effect of different temperatures (from 0°C -100°C) on the production of oxygen gas in a potato catalase reaction, using hydrogen peroxide as a substrate. The oxygen gas produced will be measured using a gas pressure sensor. Introduction: Enzymes are proteins, known as biological catalysts that increase the rate of reaction in a biochemical reaction without being chemically altered.…

    • 257 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Systems, or networks of interdependent components, function in cycles, so each component or element of the cycle can influence another. Feedback loops are the increase (positive loops) or decrease (negative loops) in a process or component and the fluctuation of any element of the cycle with affect the whole. Different loops interact within ecosystems and create what is referred to as “dynamic equilibrium.” In an elk population, if there is an abundance of elk being born and continuing to reproduce, it will create a healthy and large population, which is a positive feedback loop. The elk provides nutrition for people and other animals, including wolves or coyotes; so excess elk can be helpful to provide caloric energy for other animals (positive feedback loop).…

    • 1619 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Biology Review Sheet

    • 480 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Which of the following is true of enzymes? a. They lower the activation energy for a chemical reaction. b. They speed up the rate of a chemical reaction. c. both a and b d. neither a nor b ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: 23.1 - WHAT ARE ENZYMES?…

    • 480 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Catalase Experiment

    • 881 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The effect of altering temperature on the rate of liver enzyme activity is measured in this experiment to be able to visualize how temperature in the environment and in the body can manipulate the rate of enzyme activity. Enzymes are protein catalysts that lower the amount of activation energy required to start a biochemical reaction. According to Dr. Meyertholen (2015), enzymes are structured to work with certain substrates, meaning that the structure determines the function of the enzyme. If the enzymes shape is altered, they become denatured. Denaturation of an enzyme can occur with changes in factors such as temperature, pH, or salinity.…

    • 881 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Carbon dioxide, a gas that seem so harmless. The gas we give out, and the food at that plant eats to survive. A natural cycle of never-ending between man and nature, but what people don’t know is too much carbon dioxide isn’t good, it’s terrific. Many reason why CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) is terrific because: The #1 reason Global Warming level is increasing right now is because of Carbon Dioxide, due to the characteristic of it being able to hold in heat. The current carbon dioxide level beat the past highest carbon dioxide level by 80 PPM( Part per…

    • 99 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    In most cases, a chemical reaction is able to occur in more than one way; enzyme kinetics studies the effect of how biological catalysts can influence biochemical reactions. Enzymes play an important role in regulating metabolic pathways in the human body and without enzymes they will not function efficiently. The rate of a reaction is enhanced by enzyme activity which provides alternate pathways for the reaction to proceed by.…

    • 177 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Carbon stored within soil is called soil organic carbon (SOC). It is made up of decaying plant and animal material. Ecological and agricultural research shows that deliberately increasing SOC raises the health and amount of food produced of crops and improves pastureland for grazing livestock. Decomposition of plant and animal material in the soil also releases other nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphates, which are vital for plant growth. SOC also changes the overall soil composition it increases the amount of water that can be absorbed and stored, improves gas exchange, and breaks up the soil, making it easier for root systems to grow and spread.…

    • 524 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    magine a world where life struggles to survive. According to Bill Mckibben, author of "Global Warming: Get Up! Stand Up!" The countdown to global devastation began 30 years ago. In 1988, James Hansen, a former NASA scientist presented the issue of global warming before Congress, and the response from US legislation was staggering!…

    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Trypsin Enzyme Lab

    • 463 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Enzymes Two major factors influence how effective an enzyme is by promoting the rate of reaction. Each enzyme has a specific temperature that allows it to perform the most work. If an enzyme is placed in an environment under its optimal functioning temperature, the speed of the reaction will slow. Reason being, the molecules of the reactants reduce in energy from the low temperature, less movement means less reactions with the enzymes. At higher temperatures, molecules within an enzyme increase in rate.…

    • 463 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Carbon Dioxide Classroom

    • 357 Words
    • 2 Pages

    1. Did the carbon dioxide concentration in the classroom change as you monitored it during the Preliminary Activity? Why did it change (or not change)? Yes the carbon dioxide concentration in the classroom did change as we monitored it during the preliminary activity.…

    • 357 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Carbon-13 Research Paper

    • 587 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Elements, the matter that matters, that makes up the Earth we live on. Each one with their own unique and magnificent qualities and properties. Some are seen in every-day life, where others are rare to find. Some can be essential for life, while some not so essential, but still important. Looking at the periodic table, there are probably quite a few that you know, where others may be brand new to you.…

    • 587 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Coal is also a very useful carbon-based material. Coal can be used as a source of fire and energy or in the smelting of metals to make them stronger. For many centuries, it has been used a source of fuel. Many generations would not have been able to survive if it weren’t for the energy stored in coal. The book also does not fully discuss all of the uses of graphite.…

    • 1227 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Albumin Synthesis

    • 1183 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Introduction Enzymes contain the chemical compound which are essential for life. Enzymes are referred to as catalytic proteins, by which means that the protein speeds up chemical…

    • 1183 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    Soil Degradation Essay

    • 1375 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Lost in carbon is also found in the misuse of fertilizers and overgrazing. If too many animals are eating off all the plant life the plants will not be able to carry out photosynthesis which is a way of getting…

    • 1375 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays