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Related Concept Videos

Classifying Matter by State02:49

Classifying Matter by State

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Chemistry is the study of matter and the changes it undergoes. Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space. Matter is all around us; the air, water, soil, mountains, even our bodies are all examples of matter. Matter is divided into three states — solid, liquid, and gas — that are commonly found on earth. The fourth state of matter, plasma, occurs naturally in the interiors of stars. 
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Matter: Pure Substances and Mixtures
According to its composition, the matter can be classified into two broad categories — pure substances and mixtures. 
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The earliest recorded discussion of the basic structure of matter comes from ancient Greek philosophers. Leucippus and Democritus argued that all matter was composed of small, finite particles that they called atomos, meaning “indivisible.” Later, Aristotle and others came to the conclusion that matter consisted of various combinations of the four “elements” — fire, earth, air, and water — and could be infinitely divided. Interestingly, these philosophers...
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The substance of the universe—from a grain of sand to a star—is called matter. Scientists define matter as anything that occupies space and has mass. An object’s mass and its weight are related concepts, but not quite the same. An object’s mass is the amount of matter contained in the object and is the same whether that object is on Earth or in the zero-gravity environment of outer space. An object’s weight, on the other hand, is its mass as affected by the pull of...
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Solids, liquids, and gases are the three states of matter commonly found on Earth. A solid is rigid and possesses a definite shape. A liquid flows and takes the shape of its container, except it forms a flat or slightly curved upper surface when acted upon by gravity. Both liquid and solid samples have volumes nearly independent of pressure. A gas takes both the shape and volume of its container.
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Using Synthetic Biology to Engineer Living Cells That Interface with Programmable Materials
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Living Matter: Mesoscopic Active Materials.

Anne Bernheim-Groswasser1, Nir S Gov2, Samuel A Safran2

  • 1Department of Chemical Engineering and Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel.

Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|September 27, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Living active matter exhibits unique mesoscopic properties and collective behaviors, driving self-organization and biological functions like cell motility and tissue development.

Keywords:
active matterbiological physicscell mechanicssoft matter

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Area of Science:

  • Physics
  • Biological Physics
  • Soft Matter Physics

Background:

  • Living active matter at the mesoscopic scale displays unique properties distinct from non-living matter.
  • Biological physics integrates various physics and engineering disciplines to study these systems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce the physical properties of living active matter.
  • To explore emergent properties, collective behavior, and self-organization in biological systems.
  • To relate these phenomena to cellular functions and biological processes.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical concepts and fundamental principles of active matter physics.
  • Experimental examples including red-blood-cell membrane dynamics, nuclear movement, and acto-myosin gel contraction.
  • Analysis of cardiomyocyte structure, beating, and response to mechanical stimuli.

Main Results:

  • Active matter exhibits emergent properties leading to self-organization and collective behavior.
  • These behaviors are crucial for cellular functions such as motility, division, and tissue development.
  • Experimental models demonstrate active matter principles in biological contexts.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding active matter physics is key to comprehending biological functions at the cellular and tissue levels.
  • The study highlights the interplay between physics, chemistry, and biology in living systems.
  • Active matter principles provide a framework for studying development, disease, and therapeutic interventions.