Summary
This essay is on short description of the following terms atoms, molecular structure, ionic bonding, periodic table, pH, acids, oxidation, antioxidants in food, alkali cleaning agents, salts used in food, plant cells, photosynthesis, micro-organisms in the environment, bacterial morphology, comparative sizes of micro-organisms, factors affecting the growth of bacteria, bacterial spores, biological role of enzymes, catalase, and enzymic browning.
Introduction
This essay will write short notes on various topics in chemistry as well as in microbiology. Some of the terms in chemistry include atom, molecular structure, periodic table, pH, oxidation, ionic bonding among others. Some of the terms in microbiology include comparative sizes of micro-organisms, factors affecting the growth of bacteria biological role of enzymes, bacterial spores and enzymatic browning among others.
Short Notes on the Terms
The atom refers to a fundamental unit of matter, which is made up of a central nucleus that is dense and surrounded by a cloud of electrons that are negatively charged. In an atomic nucleus, there is a mixture of protons, which are positively charged, and neutrons, which are electrically neutral.
The molecular structure refers to the position that is held by the atoms, ions or groups in a molecule relative to one another, as well as the location and the number of chemical bonds. Ionic bonding is a process through which chemical bond is formed via an electrostatic attraction that takes place between two ions that are oppositely charged. An ionic bond is made between a cation, a metal, and an anion, a nonmetal element.
The periodic table refers to the tabular representation of the chemical elements that are organized based on the element’s atomic numbers, their electron configurations, as well as their recurring chemical properties. The presentation of the elements is in order of increasing atomic or proton number. For a standard periodic table, the main body of elements is of 18 × 7 grids.
The term pH in chemistry refers to the activity of hydrogen ions that are solvated. It is a measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions. Those solutions that have a pH level of less than 7 are referred to as acidic solution while those that have a pH greater than 7 are referred to as basic or alkaline.
The name acid comes from a Latin word acidus, which means sour and refers to a substance that reacts with a basic substance. The identification of the acid is done by reacting with calcium, tasting sour as well as reacting with substances that are basic in nature such as sodium carbonate.
Oxidation is the process through which results to the loss of electrons when an atom, ion, or molecule reacts. The process of oxidation results in a rise in the oxidation state of an atom, molecule, or ion. Oxidation is also used to refer to the addition of oxygen to a compound.
Antioxidant is a term that refers to the non-nutrient compounds that are found in foods. These antioxidants include polyphenols, vitamins A, C and E. Antioxidants are mainly used in preventing other molecules from being oxidized.
Alkaline washing agents are those washing agents that have a strong base such as sodium or potassium hydroxide. The alkaline component or the washing agent is meant to dissolves grease, fats, oils, and other protein based deposits. Bleach and ammonia are some of the common alkaline cleaning agents.
Salt or the table or rock salt refers to the crystalline mineral, which is made up of mainly sodium chloride. Sodium chloride is the chemical compound that belongs to the bigger class of ionic salts. Some of the salts used in food include kosher salt, crystalline sea salt, flaked sea salt, rock salt, pickling salt, among others (Callahan, 2013).
The plant cells refer to the eukaryotic cells with a difference in several main aspects from the cells belonging to the other eukaryotic organisms. Some of the distinctive features of a plant cell include a large central vacuole, a cell wall, plasmodesmata, pores and plastids (Hepler, 1982).
Figure 1: Plant cell (Armstrong, 2012)
Photosynthesis refers to the process where the light energy is changed to chemical energy. The produced chemical energy is then stored in the bonds of sugar. The photosynthesis process occurs in the plant cells as well as some algae. The production of sugar through photosynthesis requires light energy, CO2, and H2O and occurs in the chloroplasts (Carter, 2004).
Microorganisms occur almost in every environment on earth. They may be found in very low temperatures such as the snow alga Chlamydomas nivalis as well as the high temperatures such as Pyrolobus fumarii. The microorganisms are useful in the environment where they maintain the fertility of soil, clean up the dead organic material, fix nitrogen gas and in the extraction of minerals.
The bacterial morphology is divided into three categories based on the shape of their cells. The categories include the bacillus, coccus and the spirillum. However, there are other forms of bacteria such as helically twisted cylinders, cylinders curved in one plane and unusual morphologies like square bacteria.
Micro-organisms are generally very small in size and are hardly seen using naked eyes. However, there are a huge variation both in shape and size among the microbes. The microbes may be as large as an amoeba which is 300 micrometers or as small as a polio virus which is 0.03 micrometers.
The growth of bacteria is affected by the environmental factors and on the source of metabolic energy. Some of the environmental factors include nutrients, pH of the medium, gaseous requirement, temperature, ionic strength and osmotic pressure, and light. The nutrient sources may come from respiration, fermentation and/or photosynthesis.
A bacterial spore refers to the spore or structures that are spore-like and are produced by bacteria and include akinetes, endospores, and spores. The spore formation is mainly a method that is used by the bacteria in surviving harsh environments. Some of features for the spores include tolerance for the extreme dryness, capability to withstand extreme temperatures, spread of poisonous chemicals.
The fundamental role of the enzyme is to work as catalysts increasing the rate of almost all the chemical reactions that take place in a cell. However, RNAs are also capable of catalyzing a number of some reactions.
Catalase is an enzyme that is located in almost all living organisms that are exposed to oxygen. The enzyme catalyzes the process of hydrogen peroxide forming oxygen and water (Chelikani, Fita, & Loewen, 2004). The enzyme helps the cells from undergoing oxidative damage from some of the reactive oxygen species.
Enzymatic browning refers to the chemical process that involving catechol oxidase, polyphenol oxidase and other enzymes, which result in the creation of melanins, as well as benzoquinone from natural phenols. This results in the appearance of a brown color. The process of enzymatic browning in most cases requires oxygen exposure. The enzymatic browning is beneficial in the development of tea flavor and color and flavor especially in the dried fruit.
Conclusion
The essay successfully gave a short description of a variety of terms used in chemistry and microbiology.
Reference List
Armstrong, W. (2012). Armstrong. Retrieved May 14, 2013, from http://waynesword.palomar.edu/lmexer1a.htm
Callahan, M. (2013). 6 Types of Salt and How to Use Them. Retrieved May 14, 2013, from http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips-techniques/cooking/six-types-salt-10000000675816/
Carter, J. S. (2004). Photosynthesis. Retrieved May 14, 2013, from http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio104/photosyn.htm
Chelikani, P., Fita, I., & Loewen, P. C. (2004). Diversity of structures and properties among catalases. Cell. Mol. Life Sci., 61(2), 192–208.
Hepler, P. K. (1982). Endoplasmic reticulum in the formation of the cell plate and plasmodesmata. Protoplasma, 111, 121–133.
