• Question: What is your favorite element and why?

    Asked by to Daren, Lynne, Phillip, Simon on 13 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by , .
    • Photo: Daren Fearon

      Daren Fearon answered on 13 Jun 2014:

      Tough question – I will say phosphorous. While the human body contains more oxygen (65%), carbon (18%), hydrogen (10%) and nitrogen (3%) (amongst other elements). The 1% of phosphorous plays a very important role as it is found in a vital biological molecule called ATP (Adenosine triphosphate). This molecule is sometimes referred to as the energy currency of the cell as it is involved in so many of the reactions that happen in our bodies.

    • Photo: Lynne Thomas

      Lynne Thomas answered on 13 Jun 2014:

      My favourite element has to be hydrogen. It is a very small atom but it plays a very important role in the world. Without it, the DNA double helix would fall apart and many processes in your body wouldn’t work. It also helps to hold together the cellulose which makes up 40-50% of trees and without it, wood wouldn’t be such a strong construction material and trees wouldn’t grow to be so tall!

    • Photo: Phillip Manning

      Phillip Manning answered on 13 Jun 2014:

      Carbon. It is ‘keystone’ element to life. Its simple beauty at the atomic level makes it the ultimate building block for all organic molecules. Squash it and heat it…and you get a diamond. Given this is the Diamond Zone…it had to be Carbon 🙂

    • Photo: anon

      anon answered on 14 Jun 2014:

      I like Europium, which is one of the lanthanides at the bottom of the periodic table. It glows bright red when you shine UV light at it (see here for a picture: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1002/macp.201200454/asset/image_m/mcontent.jpg?v=1&s=7c523fba4b45e1b4b43d6c92501563c4a12e2852)
      There’s a little bit of Europium in every Euro banknote to stop people making fakes. Here’s a picture of a €50 under UV light http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/050euro-uv.jpg

    • Photo: Simon Redfern

      Simon Redfern answered on 16 Jun 2014:

      Hydrogen. It’s the starting point for everything else!

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