Nitrogen
hideNitrogen (pronounced /ˈnaɪtrədʒɨn/) is a chemical element that has the symbol N and atomic number 7 and atomic mass 14.00674 u. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78% by volume of Earth's atmosphere.
Many industrially important compounds, such as ammonia, nitric acid, organic nitrates (propellants and explosives), and cyanides, contain nitrogen. The extremely strong bond in elemental nitrogen dominates nitrogen chemistry, causing difficulty for both organisms and industry in converting the N2 into useful compounds, and releasing large amounts of energy when these compounds burn or decay back into nitrogen gas.
The element nitrogen was discovered by Daniel Rutherford, a Scottish physician, in 1772. Nitrogen occurs in all living organisms. It is a constituent element of amino acids and thus of proteins, and of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA). It resides in the chemical structure of almost all neurotransmitters, and is a defining component of alkaloids, biological molecules produced by many organisms.
For more information about Nitrogen, read the full article at
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News tagged with nitrogen
Lasers used to make first boron-nitride nanotube yarn (w/ Video)
Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials
Dec 02, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (13) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers have used lasers to create the first practical macroscopic yarns from boron nitride fibers, opening the door for an array of applications, from radiation-shielded spacecraft to ...
First Pump-Probe Experiment at Linac Coherent Light Source Completed
Nov 30, 2009 |
4.7 / 5 (12) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- The first experiment using the Linac Coherent Light Source to illuminate molecules via a "pump-probe" technique has been completed by an international team of more than 30 scientists from ...
Elevated CO2 levels may mitigate losses of biodiversity from nitrogen pollution
Dec 03, 2009 |
3.5 / 5 (6) |
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Rising levels of carbon dioxide may overheat the planet and cause other environmental problems, but fears that rising CO2 levels could directly reduce plant biodiversity can be allayed, according to a new study by a University ...
German researchers demonstrate diesel truck engine with barely measurable emissions
10 hours ago |
3.3 / 5 (3) |
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Just three months after the Euro 5 Norm for exhaust emissions went into force for all new car models, researchers at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM, Germany) have demonstrated an engine that is ...
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Bacterial gut symbionts are tightly linked with the evolution of herbivory in ants
Dec 01, 2009 |
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Broadly speaking, ants have two different feeding strategies. A large proportion of all species are "carnivorous," meaning that they are generalist predators feeding on other small animals or scavenging on ...
CPR is successful without mouth-to-mouth, but not without oxygen
Nov 30, 2009 |
3 / 5 (1) |
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People can survive cardiac arrest if they receive only chest compressions during attempts to revive them - as advised by the current American Heart Association guidelines. But they cannot survive without access to oxygen ...
Intensive fungicide use may lead to azole resistance in humans
Dec 01, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A team of scientists from the Netherlands, including Gert Kema of Plant Research International, published an article in the Lancet Infectious Diseases about the relationship between fungic ...
Safe journey for works of art
Dec 04, 2009 |
4 / 5 (1) |
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Valuable paintings travel long distances when they are shipped from one place to another. To minimize damage, they are packed in special picture cases. In future, these will be equipped with sensors to detect ...
Study Unravels Detail of 'Most Important' Cellular Signal
Dec 03, 2009 |
5 / 5 (2) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study provides crucial details that promise to help researchers better understand, and perhaps fine-tune with drugs, one of the most important signaling mechanisms in human cells, according to a study ...
Fine-tuned: A wholly new approach to tuning a laser's frequency
Dec 04, 2009 |
4.4 / 5 (9) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- For more than 30 years, scientists have been trying to harness the power of terahertz radiation. Tucked between microwaves and infrared rays on the electromagnetic spectrum, terahertz rays ...
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