Isotopes are chemical elements that have the same atomic number (i.e., the number of protons in the nucleus of the atom) but different atomic masses (i.e., the sum of the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus). Certain isotopes are unstable and undergo spontaneous nuclear changes (called transmutations) accompanied by the emission of particulate and sometimes also electromagnetic radiations. [...]
The conversion of energy from one form into another is called transduction. An example of transduction is the conversion of light energy (electromagnetic radiation) into potential chemical bond energy in such seemingly diverse processes as photosynthesis and vision. The conversion of chemical bond energy into light energy (i.e., transduction in the opposite direction) occurs in bioluminescence (e.g., the emission of [...]
Water is the essential solvent of life and the main chemical constituent of all cells. The essential role played by water can be attributed to its unique physical and chemical properties, which collectively act to protect living systems and are necessary to the structure and function of cells. One of the unusual characteristics of water is that despite its low [...]