Life, Death and Nitric Oxide

Download or read book Life, Death and Nitric Oxide written by Anthony R Butler and published by Royal Society of Chemistry. This book was released on 2007-10-31 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Designated 'Molecule of the Year' in 1992 in recognition of its many biological roles, nitric oxide has wide significance in the world around us and the story of nitric oxide is still unfolding. This small and seemingly innocent molecule has for many years been known to play a significant role in both the creation of photochemical smogs and in the nitrogen cycle. It has an interesting chemistry as a metal ligand, and the bonding within the nitric oxide molecule has been extensively studied. More recently, the molecule has been in the spotlight for the role it plays in controlling blood flow, in the immune system and in brain activity. Life, Death and Nitric Oxide covers many of the topics relating to nitric oxide, from smog and catalytic converters to tumour growth, blood flow and Viagra, with the aim of finding out why such a simple molecule can do so much.