To date, 118 chemical elements have been found. Professor Mario Markus, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany, takes a look at each element, presenting a poem based on its natural properties along with a scientific overview of each element.
All 118 poems – as well as some poems about elements that only exist in theoretical simulations – are published in the book Chemical Poems: One On Each Element by Mario Markus. ChemViews magazine will publish a selection of these poems over the next months.
Phosphorus |
Phosphorus |
|
Non-metal. Density: 1.82 g/cm³. The name is derived from the Latin phosphoros, meaning “the bearer of light” and which was the former name of the planet Venus. It appears in four forms: white, which is toxic and spontaneously flammable, red, viloet, and black, the latter three forms being much less harmful than the white form. It was discovered in 1675 by Hennig Brand through the distillation of urine. As an alchemist Brand was impressed by its brilliance in the dark, and attributed the element to the “essence of life” (élan vital [1]). He was not entirely wrong about the importance of its biological role. In fact, in a person weighing seventy kg, one kg of phosphorus is present: it is part of the bones, the nervous system, the genetic material, and ATP (adenosine triphosphate). The latter is the “universal fuel” that exists in every cell of every organism, quickly and efficiently delivering energy for vital functions, such as movements, metabolism, and neuronal activity.
|
Hold tight a match in your hand
|
Professor Mario Markus
Max Planck Institute for Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany.
www.mariomarkus.com
Chemical Poems – One On Each Element,
Mario Markus,
Dos Madres Press 2013.
ISBN: 978-1-933675-98-5
Perfectbound, 308 pages, English, $30
Interview with Mario Markus: , Poetry and Chemistry
ChemViews magazine 2013.
DOI: 10.1002/chemv.201300010
The poems have also been published in German in:
See all poems published so far by ChemistryViews.org.
Article Views: 9161
Please note that to comment on an article you must be registered and logged in.
Registration is for free, you may already be registered to receive, e.g., the newsletter. When you register on this website, please ensure you view our terms and conditions. All comments are subject to moderation.