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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
New way to break some of the strongest chemical bonds
Dec 16, 2009 |
4.6 / 5 (23) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists at Cornell University in the U.S. have found a new way of breaking two of the strongest chemical bonds, at ambient temperature and pressure, and this breakthrough could lead to ...
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Replicating Climate Change to Forecast its Effects
Dec 17, 2009 |
2.5 / 5 (4) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are replicating the effects of climate change to see what the future holds for soybeans, wheat and the soils where they grow.
Gas improves blood flow and organ status during minimally invasive surgery
Dec 14, 2009 |
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As good as laparoscopy is in preventing some of the stresses of open surgery on the body, it does have drawbacks, including reduced blood flow and organ dysfunction. Laparoscopy is a type of surgery in the abdomen done through ...
Kansas scientists probe mysterious possible comet strikes on Earth
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Dec 14, 2009 |
4.2 / 5 (12) |
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It's the stuff of a Hollywood disaster epic: A comet plunges from outer space into the Earth's atmosphere, splitting the sky with a devastating shock wave that flattens forests and shakes the countryside.
How to Find Signs of Life on Mars
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
16 hours ago |
3.7 / 5 (3) |
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By studying the signatures of fossil life on Earth, geobiologists can get a clue of what to look for when hunting for extraterrestrial life on Mars.
Headwater stream nutrient enrichment disrupts food web
Dec 17, 2009 |
4 / 5 (5) |
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Human activity is increasing the supply of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, to stream systems all over the world. The conventional wisdom -- bolstered by earlier research -- has held that these additional nutrients ...
Muscling in on a mystery protein: Study of brawny pigs reveals key player in the genome
Dec 15, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- For thousands of years, humans have bred pigs for desirable traits, such as more muscle and less fat in the meat. Domestication makes animals ideal models for studying how genes control physical ...
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