Kolefnisatóma

Kolefnisatóma, meaning "carbon atom" in Icelandic, refers to the fundamental building block of all organic compounds. It is an element with the chemical symbol C and atomic number 6. The unique electronic structure of carbon, with four valence electrons, allows it to form strong covalent bonds with itself and a wide variety of other elements, including hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and halogens. This versatility is the basis for the immense diversity of organic molecules found in nature and synthesized in laboratories.

Carbon's ability to form long chains, rings, and branched structures is particularly important. These arrangements give rise to molecules ranging from simple methane to complex DNA and proteins. The study of carbon-containing compounds is known as organic chemistry, a vast field crucial to understanding life processes, materials science, and pharmaceuticals. Carbon is a ubiquitous element, found in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, in living organisms, and in fossil fuels. Its presence and chemical behavior are central to many geological and biological cycles on Earth.