Most of us know that one-third of the air in the earth’s atmosphere is Nitrogen and it is abundantly found in the universe. At atmospheric temperatures the element exists in gaseous form and is a constituent of the DNA and RNA and even proteins, which form the basis of all the living matter on the planet. Though nitrogen in its elemental form is quite inert, certain bacteria can convert atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia through the process known as ‘nitrogen fixation’. Nitrogen can also exist in liquid and solid forms; the liquid nitrogen which looks like water is produced by fractional distillation of liquid air. The liquid form that is used in refrigeration is extremely cold and causes frostbite if it comes in contact with living matter. The liquid boils at -195.79 degree Celsius and has been used in cryogenics, which is the study of production and behavior of substances at extremely low temperatures. Also it is used in treatment of malignant skin lesions and preservation of biological samples. This odorless and colorless liquid is also used in futuristic medical technologies like cryonics. It is the preservation of living matter by storing them in sub-zero temperatures which hinders any enzymatic or chemical activity that can cause damage to the living cells. Though the concept of cryopreservation is still not widely accepted but its use might gain popularity with time as further advancements are made in the field of medicine.
Are you intrigued to know more about this magic liquid? If you want to know how it affects living matter then you are at the right place. Here we show you what happens when a heavy weight is dropped on normal eggs and on eggs that are exposed to liquid nitrogen. As expected when the eighty-three pound weight comes down on the normal eggs they are crushed and the yolk is splattered all over. The nitrogen cooled eggs are also crushed but as you can see that the crushed remains look like pieces of foam scattered all over. Further you can see, they take liquid nitrogen in a container and break an egg and add it to the container. The ensuing reaction looks like a scene inside a sauna room full of steam. Once the bubbling subsides you can remove the egg which has now solidified into a rock like structure. In another test, he drops a nitrogen cooled egg on to the floor and you can see the floor cracking (no pun intended!).
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