| What would the world be like without chlorine? |
| Question Date: 2015-12-03 |
| Answer 1: Without chlorine, life as we know it could notexist. The average adult human has about 1/5of a pound of chlorine in their body. One way tothink about this is examining table salt. Tablesalt is half negatively charged chlorine and halfpositively charged sodium. It’s important for aliving thing to balance its charge and one of theeasiest ways to add negative charge is throughchlorine. Also chlorine is important in forminghydrochloric acid which makes the stomach veryacidic. The transfer of chlorine in and out ofcells plays many important roles in an organism’shealth. An example of this importance is thedisease cystic fibrosis in which a mutationto a channel that transports chlorine causes it tonot work properly.This small change leads to anumber of serious issues such as difficultybreathing and poor growth. Though there are many other examples of howchlorine is used; it is most notable as part ofbleach which can be used for keeping pools cleanand killing bacteria. Chlorine also plays animportant role in making some plastics such as PVC(polyvinyl chloride). On a more cosmic note,the way elements are made in the center ofstars and in supernovas leads to elements we seetoday and there would be no clear way for thisprocess to skip chlorine. Chlorine like manyelements, plays an important role in life as wellas the nonliving natural world. It would reallybe impossible to imagine the world without it. |
| Answer 2: Chlorine is the anion responsible for mostsalts, so it is extremely important. Ifchlorine weren't there, then the elements thatmake salts with chlorine (mainly sodium,magnesium, potassium, and calcium) would have toreact with something else, probably oxygen.Combining these metals with oxygen results insalts with very different properties, many of theminsoluble in water. Without Chlorine, life aswe know it would probably not be possible. |
| Answer 3: Chlorine is a very common element and importantin nature and also for man-made materials andtechnology. Chlorine compounds with sodium to makesalt (NaCl, called 'sodium chloride'), which isthe most common chlorine compound in nature and isabundant in the salty oceans and the Earth'scrust. Without chlorine, sodium would try to findan alternative counter-ion when dissolved inwater, for example, iodine or bicarbonate. When animals consume salt, we use the chlorideions, which are negatively charged, to maintainthe charge balance in our blood and other fluids.Without chlorine, our bodies would have had toevolve a different mechanism for maintainingcharge balance. I mentioned that chlorine is also important fortechnology. Because chlorine is a strongoxidizing agent, it's very useful in chemicalprocesses to make synthetic materials likeplastics. Without chlorine, scientists andengineers would have to find another way to makethese materials and end products. Click Here to return to the search form. |
 |  |  |
 | ||
All Rights Reserved. UCSB Terms of Use | ||
Certainly! Chlorine is a fundamental chemical element crucial for life and various industrial applications. Its presence and roles are pivotal in both biological and nonliving realms. Let's break down the concepts mentioned in the article:
-
Biological Significance:
See AlsoChloride in dietIs a Chemical-Free Pool Possible?Does Bottled Water Have Chlorine? — Finding The Right Drinking Water Option for Your BusinessWater Treatment and Testing | Healthy Swimming | Healthy Water- Role in Human Body: Chlorine is essential for maintaining charge balance in the body's fluids. It contributes to bodily functions by aiding in the transfer of ions across cell membranes.
- Chlorine in Hydrochloric Acid: Chlorine helps in forming hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which aids in digestion by creating an acidic environment.
-
Health Implications:
- Cystic Fibrosis: The malfunction of chlorine transport channels due to genetic mutation leads to health complications like difficulty breathing and poor growth, exemplified in cystic fibrosis.
-
Industrial Applications:
See AlsoUnited Utilities - Chlorine- Bleach and Disinfection: Chlorine is a vital component of bleach, used extensively for cleaning and disinfecting purposes, notably in pool maintenance.
- Plastics Production: Chlorine plays a crucial role in the production of various plastics, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
-
Natural and Cosmic Significance:
- Presence in Nature: Chlorine combines with sodium to form sodium chloride (table salt), which is abundant in nature, especially in oceans and Earth's crust.
- Cosmic Importance: Elements like chlorine are created within stars and supernovas and are fundamental to the composition of elements seen today.
-
Alternative Scenarios:
- Impact of Chlorine Absence: Without chlorine, the compounds formed by elements like sodium, magnesium, potassium, and calcium would differ significantly, possibly affecting the solubility of resulting salts in water.
-
Technological Importance:
- Chlorine in Material Synthesis: Chlorine's strong oxidizing properties are pivotal in chemical processes for creating synthetic materials like plastics. Without it, alternative methods would need exploration.
These points highlight the indispensability of chlorine in various aspects of life, from biological functions to industrial applications and even its cosmic significance in elemental formation. Its absence would necessitate significant adaptations in biological systems and alternative methods in industrial processes.
