You are reading our best questions and answers in the Who discovered category
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a well known vitamin that aids in the support of the immune system and can be found in all citrus fruits. It forms an important protein that is used to make skin, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels. It is also particularly useful in wound healing and the repair of bone, cartridge and teeth. It is an essential vitamin in the prevention of scurvy and it acts as an antioxidant in the body. It is also an important part of 8 enzyme reactions within the body. The body does not make or store vitamin C so it is important to make sure your intake of this vitamin is adequate. Many people take daily Vitamin C supplements or increase their intake when suffering from a cold or flu. It comes in oral tables, capsules and tinctures, the most common of these being chewable tablets that taste like orange.
Cadmium, symbol Cd, is a chemical element with the atomic number 48. It is a soft metal and appears as a bluish-white color. It is chemically similar to both zinc and mercury, and shares common attributes with each. It is a relatively scarce element and usually occurs as a minor component of zinc ores. Although it was once used for stabilizing plastic and to prevent corrosion of steel, it is no longer used for many applications because of its toxicity. In fact, the sale and use of cadmium is heavily restricted in Europe.
Australia is a large island continent in the southern hemisphere and includes the island of Tasmania and other smaller islands off its coast. It has 6 states and 2 territories and is governed by a Federal parliamentary democracy with a Prime Minister. Its official title is the Commonwealth of Australia and it is part of the British Empire. It is ruled by the Queen which makes it a constitutional monarchy. It has a population of approximately 22,612,617 people and it is the thirteenth largest economy in the world.
DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the most important molecule of living organisms. It contains the genetic instructions used in the development and function of living creatures. DNA stores all the genetic coding that is required to fully develop a life form. It also holds all the instructions for specific cell creation. DNA is the blueprint of life. It is DNA that determines factors such as eye and hair color. Human DNA consists of about 3 billion bases, and more than 99 percent of those bases are the same in all people.
Tungsten is a steel metal that is found naturally on the earth. It has the chemical symbol of W. which comes from its alternate name, wolfram. It was identified in 1781, and just 2 years later it was first isolated. It is sought after due to having the highest melting point of all non-alloyed substances on earth. It is primarily used to make tungsten carbine. Tungsten carbine makes other metals harder and more wear resistant. Tungsten carbine is used to make drill bits for the mining and construction industry. It is also used in electrical item such as light bulb filaments due to its high melting point and ability to conduct electricity.
Radon is a colorless gas with the chemical symbol of Rn and an atomic number of 86. It is radioactive and it is a health hazard due to its radioactivity. Radon is a naturally occurring decay product of uranium and is the most stable isotope with a half life of 3.8 days. Radon is the most common cause of public exposure to radiation as it can accumulate from natural sources in building particularly in attics and basements. So if radon is so radioactivity, who discovered its existence?
Antarctica is the southernmost continent on the planet earth. It has the unique reputation of being the world coldest, driest, highest and windiest place. Antarctica covers an area of 14.0 million km2 (5.4 million sq mi) making it the fifth largest continent on Earth. On average 1,000 to 5,000 people reside in Antarctica yearly in the research stations and science facilities that are spread across the continent. Though most of these stations are only occupied in the summer and spring when the sun is up all the time. During the winter it is always dark and very cold!
HIV or Human immunodeficiency Virus is a virus that causes the immune system to fail. It is contracted via bodily fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk from an already infected person. The four most common way to contract HIV are unsafe sex, contaminated needles, breast milk and during birth where it is passed from the mother to the newborn. HIV caused the immune system, the system in the body which fights infections both viral and bacterial, to fail leading to the person with HIV become more susceptible to infections. HIV does not kill people they usually die from secondary complications such as the common cold or flu which their body cannot protect them against. A person who has contracted HIV will progress to having AIDS in on average about 10 years.
A black hole is said to be a region of space where nothing, include light, can escape. It is caused by the collapse of a large star in on to itself. The collapse of this mass causes a deformity in space-time causing a black hole. A black hole is surrounded by what is known as an event horizon. This is invisible and absorbs all light thus the phenomena is known as a “black” hole. A black hole has an extremely high gravitational field and although it cannot be observed, its presence can be detected by how it impacts on surrounding stars and gases.
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu. It’s atomic number is 29. This post will tell you who discovered copper and then look at some interesting facts about copper.