Anonymous at Thu, 4 Jul 2024 21:36:05 UTC No. 16268116

Some shit about valence

Anonymous at Thu, 4 Jul 2024 21:41:36 UTC No. 16268126

>>16268014

Oxygen is a corrosive gas, in the same family as fluorine and chlorine - hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid. It help chemical reactions.

Anonymous at Thu, 4 Jul 2024 21:47:13 UTC No. 16268132

>>16268014
it has 8 protons which is infinity sideways

Anonymous at Thu, 4 Jul 2024 21:56:35 UTC No. 16268141

>>16268014

Oxygen holds a unique position in chemistry and biochemistry.

Versatility: Oxygen reacts with atoms of almost all elements (except the Noble gases) to form molecules. One crucial molecule, especially from a biological perspective, is water. Water serves as a perfect solvent for biomolecules and moderates the Earth’s climate. Additionally, it’s the primary source of almost all the dioxygen (O2) in our atmosphere1.

Biological Significance: Photosynthetic organisms (such as cyanobacteria) evolved around 2.7-2.8 billion years ago. These organisms could oxidize water to produce dioxygen. Before photosynthesis, oxygen was generally unavailable for redox chemistry. The process of oxidizing water to produce dioxygen requires a stronger oxidizing agent than dioxygen itself, along with a lot of energy. Fossilized remains of cyanobacteria are found in stromatolites, providing evidence of this critical development.

Electronegativity: Oxygen’s high electronegativity means it readily forms bonds with electropositive atoms. It often acts as an oxidizing agent, ripping off electrons from other molecules. This property makes oxygen essential for various oxidation reactions2.

Oxygen’s versatility, biological importance, and electronegativity contribute to its central role in biochemical reactions. It’s the life-giving element that fuels our metabolic processes and sustains life itself.

Anonymous at Thu, 4 Jul 2024 21:57:39 UTC No. 16268142

In cellular respiration, oxygen plays a crucial role as the final electron acceptor in the electron transport chain (ETC).

Glycolysis: The process begins in the cytoplasm with glycolysis. Glucose is broken down into two molecules of pyruvate. During this step, a small amount of ATP is produced, and NADH (a reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is generated.

Pyruvate Decarboxylation: Pyruvate moves into the mitochondria, where it undergoes decarboxylation to form acetyl-CoA. This step releases carbon dioxide and generates NADH.

Citric Acid Cycle (Krebs Cycle): Acetyl-CoA enters the citric acid cycle. Here, it reacts with oxaloacetate to form citrate. Through a series of reactions, citrate is converted back to oxaloacetate, releasing NADH and FADH2 (flavin adenine dinucleotide).

Electron Transport Chain (ETC): The ETC is located in the inner mitochondrial membrane. NADH and FADH2 donate electrons to the chain. As electrons move through protein complexes (I, II, III, and IV), they pump protons (H+) across the membrane, creating an electrochemical gradient. Oxygen (O2) serves as the final electron acceptor at complex IV. It combines with electrons and protons to form water (H2O).

ATP Synthesis: The proton gradient generated during ETC drives ATP synthesis via ATP synthase. Protons flow back into the mitochondrial matrix, and ATP is produced.

Anonymous at Thu, 4 Jul 2024 21:59:27 UTC No. 16268145

>>16268141
>>16268142
>as an AI language model

Anonymous at Thu, 4 Jul 2024 23:01:27 UTC No. 16268197

>>16268014
it being nearly useless for everything besides reacting

i'm serious, the whole reason we have an O2-enriched atmosphere is because it's a waste product. photosynthesizers make way more of it than they could possibly use.

oxygen is only really useful to life as either a source of energy (dioxygen) or incorporated into hydrocarbon molecules, where its usefulness is entirely due to hydrogen and carbon. in carboxyl and hydroxyl groups its primary usefulness to life comes from hydrogen bonding (protein structure, solubility) or hydrogen donation (acidic hydroxyls).

even in ethers, where oxygen can be used as a bridging ligand that is weak enough to cleave and reform without disrupting the rest of the molecule or everything around it, it is often used as a store of energy that just happens to be usable in macroscopic structures, as in polysaccharides.

>>16268126
>in the same family as fluorine and chlorine
not correct. oxygen is more electronegative than chlorine, yes, but it's not a halogen (group 17), it's a chalcogen (group 16).