Adonis Diaries

Fielding a couple scientific questions

Question one: “Do electrons smash in the nucleus of an atom?”

Question two: “Do all our cells contain the same ADN?”

For question one:

Yes, electrons in the lowest energy level can circulate in the nucleus of protons and neutrons. The latest atomic model views electrons, in each energy level assigned to them, as moving along determined spaces (orbitals) and not simple trajectories.  We can only attribute probabilities of an electron occupying specific region in the orbital.

Since the orbital of the lowest energy level is considered to be a sphere that include the nucleus then, there are probabilities for electrons circulating in the nucleus at the fundamental energy level.

I guess your corollary question would be “Can an electron in the first level smash into protons and neutrons?  What would be the consequences and what happens when an electron connect with the nucleus?”

The short answer that I read didn’t field that specific question.

We can always join our brains and conjecture before approaching a theoretical physicist.

For example, knowing that the mass of an electron is much lighter than a proton or a neutron; and knowing that the kinetic energy of an electron is much smaller than a proton or a neutron then, an electron will be ejected to other energy levels depending on the value of momentum of coming into contact (or very close to a contact).

Now, has every electron a “matriculation number” that determines that only such an electron should be assigned such an energy level?  I tend to doubt it.

How another electron is “lured” into filling the vacant space of the ejected electron?

My physics knowledge is outdated and I would love your contributions.

In any case, I have this impression that most of the heat generated could be the results of contacts of electrons in the first level with nucleus.

Question two: “Do all our cells contain the same ADN?”

Mostly yes, with two exceptions.

There are two categories of cells that diverge from this general principle.  The first category is the lymphocytes B and the second is the sexual cells or “gamete”. 

The lymphocyte B is in charge of our immune system: it has the ADN constantly re-organized (re-combined) to generate infinite kinds of antibodies adapted to defending our organism.

In the case of the sexual cell, the fecundated egg is created from the contact of two sexual cells (male and female) contributing each 23 unique pairs of chromosomes.  The pair of chromosomes are assembled in a chaotic mix of genes contained in the cells that produce sexual cells.  The newly formed egg cell divides (mitosis) into two identical cells with same ADN.

The replication mechanism induces into rare errors of substitutions, insertions, or deletions of pairs of chromosomes.

The frequency of these errors is about once for every 10 million replications of our total 3.2 billion pairs of chromosomes in mankind molecule.  These erroneous replications result in either an order to destroying the cell or mutating into genetic ailments such as hemophilia.

Mostly, these imperfect replications do not generally alter the proper functioning process of the cell or the correct expression of a gene.

External sources may also alter replications or cell mutation such as ultra violet rays (UV), radioactive rays, viruses, and chemical substances.

The external sources for deficient replications are called “mutagen agents” and they may breakdown pairs of chromosomes.  If internal natural mechanisms fail to repair the broken pair of chromosomes then, a chain reaction of invading chaotic proliferation of defective cells takes hold.  It is hypothesized that the mutation of sexual cells creates new genes and thus, new species.

Thus, with the exception of these two categories of cells, all our body cells (neuron, skin, bone…) have the same ADN.

The answers were extracted from the French magazine “Science et vie” number 1111.