Please answer the following questions Chitin and cellulose are molecules that do
ID: 205224 • Letter: P
Question
Please answer the following questions Chitin and cellulose are molecules that do not spontaneously break down but can be digested by bacteria and some other microorganisms. Since carbon is not among thc most common elements in the earth's crust, what would happen if all of the chitin-digesting and cellulose-digesting organisms on the earth were destroyed? (2.5 points) 1· Following nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%), argon is the next most common gas in the atmosphere (less than 1% Checking the table of clements, you discover that argon is one of a family of atoms with outer shells already full of electrons. How is this related to the fact that these atoms have virtually no biological importance? (2.5 points) !Explanation / Answer
Ans 1 Chitin and cellulose are part of fungal or plant cell wall. They are also part of human diet. Some mammals have cellulose or Chitin digesting organism or symbionts living in their intestine. For example cow and the ruminant bacteria. These organisms help them digesting the food. If these organisms are destroyed, the ingested Chitin or cellulose will not be degraded. They might be excreted in faeces. If it happens then its decomposition becomes impossible and the waste accumulates. Moreover, plant remanants decomposition also becomes a problem.
There are many diseases caused by fungus. If Chitin digesting organisms are not present than the disease is spread. Chitinase obtained from such organisms is essential to degrade such organisms and control the disease. So these organisms are essential.
Ans 2
Argon has its outer electron shell full with electron and so it's an inert atom. It is unsuitable to undergo any kind of oxidation reduction reaction which is in center of regulation of all the catalytic reaction. It is also important for oxidative phosporylation, a process to generate ATP- energy driving and essential life molecule.
So argon is unsuitable to sustain life and hence has no biological significance.