Why Are Metals Important 2u3h2w

Humans and Metal What are metals? A metal can be defined as any chemical element that is a conductor of both electricity and heat and also forms ions and ionic bonds with non-metals. Metals have existed and been used many centuries ago by the ancient people, even far back as 6000 BC. Such metals were gold, silver, iron, copper and a few others. However, in today’s society there are much more types of metals than there were centuries ago. Metals are used every day and are extremely essential for sustainability and development of life. Plants require magnesium for green leaves and to harness the sun’s energy to make food. Humans need iron to make hemoglobin which is the chemical in red blood cells that carries oxygen. Without iron, we would suffocate, because we could not get oxygen from our lungs to our muscles. There are a lot of different types of metals today and they all are used for numerous things. Depending on the type of metal and their qualities they are used for certain reasons and every has their own usages, therefore metals are important. However, I think three of most important ones would be, iron, copper and aluminum. The main reason being, they are used everywhere, everyday and is essential in enhancing life and making it easier for us. The main type of metal among the three would be iron. Biologically this element is used by the body to make tendons and ligaments and chemicals in our brain are controlled by the presence or absence of iron. It is also important for maintaining a healthy immune system and for digesting certain things in the food that we eat. On a physical aspect, Iron is durable and is a very good conductor of heat and electricity. Iron can be said to be one of the main building blocks for civilization and it is used every single day in the construction industry worldwide. Some important applications of iron would be, construction, transportation, food processing, farming and household appliances. A variety of essential equipments of daily life are made from iron especially in transportation. It is used commercially for the manufacture of ships, aero planes, motor cars, trains and

various industrial machines and we all know how important these things are to humans in these modern times. It is used to make iron beams that are used in the construction of buildings. We also know how important agriculture is to our survival and virtually all the equipments that are used in farming are made from iron which ultimately makes life easier for us. Another essential metal to humans in today’s society is copper. Firstly on a biological aspect it is an element that is very important for our good health. To begin with, copper is a major component of the oxygen carrying part of blood cells. Copper also helps protect our cells from being damaged by certain chemicals in our bodies. This important element is also required by the brain to form chemicals that keep us awake and alert. Copper also helps your body produce chemicals that regulate blood pressure, pulse, and healing. Physically, it is a ductile metal, with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. This property of copper is what makes it is so useful and vital in making things we require in our everyday lives. One of the most vital necessities today is electricity. We all depend on it for numerous reasons such as for lighting in our homes, in businesses, communication, entertainment, and the list goes on. In saying this, we should know that all electrical power production and distribution uses copper to transfer electric current right through the various mediums. This is done throughout the world via generators, transformers, power lines, nuclear reactors, pipelines etc. Another important factor to know about copper is that, it is an extremely good conductor of heat. This is the reason why it is used to make cooking utensils such as fry pans, knives forks, etc. Computers and other electronic devices that require conductors such as TV, radio, stereo, calculators, security devices, etc, also use copper in their production process. Thirdly another very important metal would be aluminum. Aluminum is remarkable for its low density and for its ability to resist corrosion due to the phenomenon of ivation. Aluminum is used in alloys in the manufacture of different parts of ships and aero planes and different heavy machinery. Aluminum alloys form vital components of aircraft and rockets as a result of their high

strength-to-weight ratio. It also forms alloys with many elements such as copper, zinc, magnesium, etc to make things that we need in our daily lives. It is used in food processing and preservation. Microwaves and conventional ovens, refrigerators and freezers also require aluminum as an important element in their manufacture. Communications including satellites, antennas, space crafts, and other communications devices also utilizes aluminum as their primary component .Therefore it is now seen the importance of this metal in these modern times and how it makes life easier for humans. References  "The Role of Elements in Life Processes | Mineral Information Institute." Welcome - Mineral Information Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2011. .  "Periodic Table of Elements and Chemistry." Periodic Table of Elements and Chemistry. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2011. .  "Wikipedia." Wikipedia.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2011. .