carbon

carbon (C) A non-metallic element, which is unique in the number of compounds it is able to form that contain chains or rings of carbon atoms. This ability to form large, complex molecules in which other elements are bonded to carbon atoms is exploited by all living organisms, and carbon thus provides the basis for organic chemistry (the chemistry of organisms). Carbon is extracted from gaseous carbon dioxide by plants during photosynthesis, and is incorporated in to living matter; when organic matter decomposes, its carbon is oxidized and so is returned to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Pure carbon occurs naturally as diamond, graphite, as the amorphous carbon black, and recently an additional polymorph has been recognized called buckminsterfullerene, in which 60 atoms are arranged to form an approximately spherical shape, rather like a football. Charcoal, produced by the destructive distillation of organic matter, is also a fairly pure form of carbon.