scholarly journals On the role of living matter in the formation of the elemental composition of the biosphere

2021 ◽  
pp. 001-005
Author(s):  
VD Korzh
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-58
Author(s):  
B.L. Oksengendler ◽  
S.E. Maksimov ◽  
S.U. Norbaev ◽  
L.Yu. Akopyan ◽  
M.V. Konoplyova ◽  
...  

The article contains a hypothesis on the dominance of chemical elements of top periods of the Periodic Table in living matter. The idea is that the elements of the third and next periods of the table, in contrast to the first two periods, have larger number of subvalent electron shells. Because of this, ionization of the k-electron shell by radiation (kosmic and terrestrial) in the heavy atoms always leads to the Auger cascade, which causes the destruction of molecular chains. This mechanism can play a role of the radiation filter in the selection of light chemical elements in living matter in addition to the mechanism of hydrolytic filter (G.R. Ivanitskii).


1958 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 429-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
A La Pleshchitser

Abstract Fersman (1934) commented on the relatively unimportant role of magnesium in biochemical processes. The comparatively limited radius of its ions, the stability and relative insolubility of its compounds prevent its taking an active part in the reactions of living matter. On the other hand, we have the statement of Vernadskii that in the plankton film of the ocean, in the ordinary accumulations and more massive growths, the amount of magnesium-containing chlorophyll must reach the order of 10-4 per cent by weight, if not higher, so that a small quantity of magnesium, entering into the composition of the chlorophyll-complex of the plankton, ultimately regulates the main part of the oxygenating function of living matter, the creation of free atmospheric oxygen. The material summarized by us likewise affords evidence of the importance of the role of magnesium in biological processes. All this, however, does not justify sharp differentiation between the biological role of magnesium and its role in biochemical processes. In all probability these processes are conditional to each other, although they are not identical processes. It is important to note the established and incontestable role of magnesium in many enzymatic processes in both the plant and animal kingdoms. The antagonistic action between magnesium and calcium, resulting from artificial changes in the ratios of these elements in soil, plants, and animals, can hardly occur under natural conditions, and, conversely, it must be assumed that a labile equilibrium between these elements is always maintained. The depressing action of magnesium ions on the central nervous system acquires considerable biological significance, since this permits the assumption that these ions in the animal organism may facilitate inhibitory processes in the nerve cell and insure the normal course of catabolic and anabolic processes. The narcotic and cholinolytic effects of magnesium constitute the basis for the wide therapeutic use of magnesium salts in medical practice.


2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 702-707 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.A. Mostardi ◽  
M.W. Kovacik ◽  
R.D. Ramsier ◽  
E.T. Bender ◽  
J.M. Finefrock ◽  
...  

1987 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 1206-1212 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Behrens Yamada ◽  
T. J. Mulligan ◽  
D. Fournier

Individual spawning populations, or stocks, of salmon differ in the elemental composition of their scales and bone. These stock-specific differences have a pronounced environmental component, since elevated concentrations of certain elements in fish tissue can be induced by feeding hatchery fish food enriched in these elements. This study tests the hypothesis that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the stock-specific elemental composition of salmon vertebrae. Four stocks of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) were raised under identical conditions and each stock was subjected to four environmental treatments. The elemental composition of the vertebrae were analysed using X-ray spectroscopy; nine elements were measured. The resulting elemental composition data were analysed by multivariate analysis of variance. Evidence is presented for both a stock and a treatment factor contributing to the vertebral composition.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos Fernández-Martínez ◽  
Jordi Sardans ◽  
Josep Peñuelas ◽  
Ivan Janssens

<p>Global change is affecting the capacity of terrestrial ecosystems to sequester carbon. While the effect of climate on ecosystem carbon balance has largely been explored, the role of other potentially important factors that may shift with global change, such as biodiversity and the concentration of nutrients remains elusive. More diverse ecosystems have been shown to be more productive and stable over time and differences in foliar concentrations of N and P are related to large differences in how primary producers function. Here, we used 89 eddy-covariance sites included in the FLUXNET 2015 database, from which we compiled information on climate, species abundance and elemental composition of the main species. With these data, we assessed the relative importance of climate, endogenous factors, biodiversity and community-weighted concentrations of foliar N and P on terrestrial carbon balance. Climate and endogenous factors, such as stand age, are the main determinants of terrestrial C balance and their interannual variability in all types of ecosystems. Elemental stoichiometry, though, played a significant role affecting photosynthesis, an effect that propagates through ecosystem respiration and carbon sequestration. Biodiversity, instead, had a very limited effect on terrestrial carbon balance. We found increased respiration rates and more stable gross primary production with increasing diversity. Our results are the first attempt to investigate the role of biodiversity and the elemental composition of terrestrial ecosystems in ecosystem carbon balance.</p>


1991 ◽  
Vol 250 ◽  
Author(s):  
William S. Rees ◽  
Celia R. Caballero

AbstractAn examination of thermal chemical vapor deposit elemental composition by EDAX has been completed for material films grown from Cu(acac)2 and Cu(tmhd)2 (acac = pentane-2,4-dionate; tmhd = 2,2,6,6-tetramethylheptane-3,5-dionate), using both hydrous and anhydrous carrier gas steams each of reducing (H2), inert (H2), and oxidizing (O2) composition.


Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1290
Author(s):  
Christopher Zammit ◽  
David Bilocca ◽  
Silvia Ruggieri ◽  
Gaspare Drago ◽  
Cinzia Perrino ◽  
...  

Abstract: Exposure to outdoor air pollution has been shown to increase asthma symptoms. We assessed the potential role of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter <2.5 μm (PM2.5) on respiratory condition in schoolchildren in the south Mediterranean area. A total of 2400 children aged 11–14 years were recruited, and data on their symptoms were collected through an ISAAC (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood)-based questionnaire. Outdoor PM2.5 was collected for 48 consecutive hours in the schoolyards of their schools and selected residential outdoor areas. The levels of PM2.5 were measured, along with its elemental composition. The incidence of an acute respiratory illness within the first 2 years of life was higher amongst Sicilian children when compared to Maltese children (29.7% vs. 13.5% respectively, p < 0.0001). Malta had a significantly higher prevalence of doctor‐diagnosed asthma, when compared to Sicily (18.0% Malta vs. 7.5% Sicily, p <0.0001). Similarly, current asthma (7.8% vs. 2.9%, p < 0.0001) and use of asthma medication in the last 12 months (12.1% vs. 4.9%, p < 0.0001) were more frequent amongst Maltese children. Total median PM2.5 was 12.9 μg/m3 in Sicily and 17.9 μg/m3 in Malta. PM2.5 levels were highest in the Maltese urban town of Hamrun (23.6 μg/m3), while lowest in the rural Sicilian town of Niscemi (10.9 μg/m3, p < 0.0001). Hamrun also exhibited the highest levels of nickel, vanadium, lead, zinc, antimony, and manganese, whilst the Sicilian city of Gela had the highest levels of cadmium, and the highest level of PM2.5 when compared to rural Sicily. Elevated levels of PM2.5 were positively associated with the prevalence of doctor diagnosed asthma (odds ratio (OR) 1.05), current asthma (OR 1.06), and use of asthma medication (OR 1.06). All elements in PM2.5 showed increased OR for doctor diagnosed asthma, while higher concentrations of Cd and Mn were associated with higher prevalence of rhinitis.


2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 120-123
Author(s):  
V. P. Pishak

150-years have passed since the birth of famous Ukrainian and Russian scientist, academician V. I. Vernadsky (1863–1945) – the founder and the first president of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences (UAS), as well as the first scientific library in Ukraine. The genius of scientific predictions of V. I. Vernadsky is undeniable: he is the founder of geochemistry, biochemistry and genetic mineralogy; the doctrine about living substance and its role in the evolution of the biosphere and the noosphere theory; the reasoning of the concept of the biosphere – the sphere of living organisms, their place and role in placental scope; the development of biogeochemistry. "There is no more stable "acting" chemical force on the Earth than all the living organisms" – V. I. Vernadsky pointed (Vernadsky, 1965). The scientist pointed that even in the early stages of life nascence the populations and communities always have been evolved. Thus, there is a set of organisms that are closely interacted with each other and with inanimate nature has arisen. According to Vernadsky, from the very beginning of the emergence of the biosphere, the living components (biomonomers and biopolymers) were differed by a great variety. Without such an initial heterogeneity of living systems on Earth, the conversion of solid, liquid and gaseous substances could not be carried out. Thus, the heterogeneity of the biosphere correlated with a variety of physical and chemical organization of different parts of the earth's surface. The chemical elemental composition of the earth's surface as well as elemental composition of living organisms, which are directly involved in chemical transformations on Earth, have never been significantly changed during whole geological history. "The variety of living substance, and life have always performed various biogeochemical functions at the same time" – V. Vernadsky pointed. The chemical transformations, the circulation of substance are evolving in the same time, they are interconnected with the circulation of chemicals, which in turn depend on rain, seasonal and other cyclic changes of light, temperature, pressure – meaning the chronoperiodic changes – V. I. Vernadsky followed the idea of continuity of living substance in outer space. Both – tasks and methodological bases of geochemistry and biogeochemistry were based in the theoretical ecology – environmental aspects of evolution, the principles of systemic analysis, biocenology problems, mathematical modeling, chronoperiodic reaction etc. Theoretical principles of ecology, developed by V. I. Vernadsky, their practical solution in some sections of biology led to the formation of different ecological areas: animal’s, plant’s and microorganism’s ecology, engineering ecology and others. Scientist drew the great attention to human ecology. With the changing of socio-economic formations, a role of a human in biosphere life has increased, especially in an era of scientific and technological revolution. The human activities as a source of energy, the active economic activity of Homo sapiens, the appearance of chemicals of anthropogenic origin, – these and many other directions of human activity allowed V. I. Vernadsky substantiate the place and role of new environmental factor – the noosphere, and hence a new research area – noospherology. Theoretical bases of ecology, developed by V. I. Vernadsky, find their practical implementation in medicine: the development of molecular genetics, genomic medicine, and detection of genetic predisposition to many diseases, so-called multifactorial diseases, environmental protection, the formation of new medicine areas – predictive, preventive, personalized and participatory one. Nowadays, the biomedical community, motivated by works of V. I. Vernadsky, feces the new horizons of therapy, diagnostics and prevention of diseases, based on the environmental factors.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aliaksandr Dzementsei ◽  
Younes F. A Barooji ◽  
Elke A Ober ◽  
Lene Broeng Oddershede

Material properties of living matter play an important role for biological function and development. Yet, quantification of material properties of internal organs in vivo, without causing physiological damage, remains challenging. Here, we present a non-invasive approach based on modified optical tweezers for quantifying sub-cellular material properties deep inside living zebrafish. Material properties of cells within the gut region of living zebrafish are quantified as deep as 150 μ into the biological tissue. The measurements demonstrate differential mechanical properties of the developing foregut organs progenitors: Gut progenitors are more elastic than any of the neighboring cell populations at the time when the developing organs undergo substantial displacements during morphogenesis. The higher elasticity of gut progenitors correlates with an increased cellular concentration of microtubules. The results infer a role of material properties during morphogenesis and the approach paves the way for quantitative material investigations in vivo of embryos, explants, or organoids.


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