Nea Aniwa Ntumi Nhu Mu Nhwehwɛmu a Wɔyɛ—Dɛn na Ɛda Adi?

DƐN na ɛba bere a nnipa nam mfiri foforo a wɔayɛ so yi nkataanim no, sɛnea yɛbɛka no no, na wohu nea kan no na wontumi nhu no? Saa a wɔyɛ no ma wotumi hu biribi a bere bi na ɛyɛ ahintasɛm no mu yiye.—Hwɛ adaka a ɛwɔ ase hɔ no.

Bere bi, na nnipa pii gye di sɛ asase wɔ amansan mfinimfini. Nanso ɛdenam afiri a wotumi de hwɛ nneɛma a ɛwɔ akyirikyiri so no, ada adi sɛ okyinnsoromma ahorow no nyinaa, a asase ka ho, twa owia no ho hyia. Nnansa yi ara, ɛdenam maekroskop a ano yɛ den so no, nnipa atumi ahwehwɛ atɔm mu, na wɔahu sɛnea atɔm ahorow bi ne afoforo tumi bom yɛ nea wɔfrɛ no molecule no.

Susuw sɛnea molecule a ɛwɔ nsu mu, a ehia ma nkwa, no ba ho hwɛ. Esiane sɛnea ɛte no nti, Hydrogen atɔm abien ne Oxygen atɔm biako bom anwonwakwan so dan molecule a ɛwɔ nsu mu—ɔpepepem pii wɔ nsuko biara a ɛsɔ mu! Dɛn na yebetumi asua afi molecule a ɛwɔ nsu mu mu bere a yɛhwehwɛ sɛnea ɛte wɔ tebea ahorow mu no?

Sɛnea Nsu Yɛ Nwonwa

Ɛwom sɛ yemmu nsu a ɛsosɔ no ade titiriw biara de, nanso nsu yɛ biribi nwonwaso. Nokwarem no, Ɔbenfo John Emsley, a ɔyɛ nyansahu ho sɛnkyerɛwfo wɔ Imperial College wɔ London, England, no kae sɛ ɛno ne “nea wɔayɛ mu nhwehwɛmu sen biara wɔ nnuru mu nanso ebesi nnɛ no wontumi nhuu sɛnea ɛte ankasa.” New Scientist nsɛmma nhoma no kae sɛ: “Nsu yɛ ade a abu so paa wɔ Asase so, nanso ɛyɛ biribi a ɛyɛ nwonwa paa.”

Ɔbenfo Emsley kyerɛkyerɛɛ mu sɛ, ɛmfa ho sɛ nsu yɛbea nyɛ hwanyann no, “biribiara nni hɔ a ɛyɛ nwonwa sen no.” Sɛ nhwɛso no, ɔkae sɛ: “Ɛsɛ sɛ H₂0 [nsu] yɛ mframa, . . . nanso ɛnte saa. Bio nso, sɛ ɛdan nsukyenee a . . . , ɛyɛ den na ɛtɛn nsu ani na ɛnkɔ ase,” sɛnea anka obiara bɛhwɛ kwan no. Ɛdefa anwonwade yi ho no, Ɔbenfo Paul E. Klopsteg, a bere bi na ɔyɛ Amerika Fekuw a Ɛhwɛ Nyansahu Mu Mpɔntu So no titrani kae sɛ:

“Ɛte sɛ nea wɔyɛɛ eyi wɔ ɔkwan soronko so na ama nsu mu abɔde te sɛ mpataa, anya nkwa. Sɛ nsu yɛ nwini dan nsukyenee na ne yɛbea anyɛ sɛnea wɔaka ho asɛm no a, hwɛ nea anka ebesi. Anka ɛbɛkɔ so adan nsukyenee araa kosi sɛ ɔtare mũ nyinaa bɛdan nsukyenee, na ama emu abɔde a nkwa wom nyinaa awuwu.” Ɔbenfo Klopsteg kae sɛ sɛnea nsu sakra wɔ ɔkwan soronko yi so no “da adi sɛ obi a ɔwɔ tumi bi ne atirimpɔw na ɔrekyerɛ amansan yi kwan.”

Sɛnea New Scientist kyerɛ no, seesei nhwehwɛmufo susuw sɛ wɔahu nea enti a nsu sakra wɔ ɔkwan soronko yi so no. Wɔahyehyɛ akontaabu pon a edi kan a ɛkyerɛ ɔkwan a nsu fa so trɛw no pɛpɛɛpɛ. Nhwehwɛmufo no kae sɛ: “Nea ɛma wɔte ahintasɛm no ase ne sɛnea wɔatetew Oxygen mu atɔm mu no.”

So ɛno nyɛ nwonwa? Molecule a ɛte sɛ nea ɛnsɛ hwee no yɛ biribi a ɛyɛ den sɛ nnipa bɛte ase. Na susuw sɛnea nsu dɔɔso wɔ yɛn nipadua mu no ho hwɛ! So wuhu sɛ sɛnea molecule, a element abien pɛ mu atɔm abiɛsa na ɛka bom yɛ saa no yɛ nwonwa na edi adanse sɛ obi a ɔkyɛn so a ɔwɔ atirimpɔw na ɔrekyerɛ nneɛma kwan no? Nanso, nsu mu molecule sua koraa na wɔde toto sɛnea molecule afoforo bi te ho a, ɛnsɛ hwee.

Molecule Ahorow Nwonwaso Bi

Element 88 a ɛwɔ asase so no mu atɔm pii na ɛwɔ molecule ahorow bi mu. Sɛ nhwɛso no, atɔm ɔpepem pii na ɛwɔ DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid a wɔatwa no tiaa), a ekura ade biara a nkwa wom awosu ho nsɛntitiriw no, mu!

Ɛmfa ho sɛ DNA yɛ nwonwa mmoroso no, ekura molecule a ne kɛse yɛ nsateakwaa mu nkyekyem 10,000,000 pɛ, nea esua koraa a sɛ ɛnyɛ sɛ wɔde maekroskop a ano yɛ den na ɛbɛhwɛ a, wɔrentumi nhu koraa. Ɛyɛ1944 ansa na nyansahufo rehu sɛ DNA na ɛkyerɛ onipa awosu. Nea wohui yi ma wofii ase hwehwɛɛ molecule nwonwaso yi mu kɔɔ akyiri.

Nanso, DNA ne nsu yɛ molecule ahorow pii no mu abien pɛ a wogyina so yɛ nneɛma. Na esiane sɛ molecule pii na ɛwɔ abɔde a nkwa wom ne nea nkwa nnim mu nti, so ɛsɛ sɛ yɛka sɛ abusuabɔ bi da abɔde a nkwa wom ne nea nkwa nnim no ntam?

Nnipa pii de bere tenten gye dii sɛ ɛte saa. Abɔde nketenkete a nkwa wom ho nimdefo, Michael Denton, kyerɛkyerɛɛ mu sɛ: “Animdefo pii a na wɔwɔ hɔ wɔ 1920 ne 1930 mfe no mu gye dii ankasa sɛ adufra ho nimdeɛ pii a wobenya no bɛma wɔahu abusuabɔ no.” Nanso, awiei koraa no, dɛn na wohui ankasa?

Nkwa Yɛ Ade Titiriw a Ɛda Nsow

Ɛwom sɛ na nyansahufo hwɛ kwan sɛ wobehu abusuabɔ bi wɔ abɔde a nkwa wom ne nea nkwa nnim mu de, nanso Denton kae sɛ “wohui sɛ nsonsonoe kɛse bi da ntam bere a awiei koraa no wɔyɛɛ abɔde a nkwa wom ne tumi a ɛma wɔtra ase mu nhwehwɛmu wɔ 1950 mfe no mfiase mu no.” Bere a Denton reka nokwasɛm titiriw a nyansahufo agye atom seesei ho asɛm no, ɔkyerɛkyerɛɛ mu sɛ:

“Seesei, ɛnyɛ nsonsonoe a ɛda abɔde a nkwa wom ne nea nkwa nnim ntam nko na yenim, na mmom, nea ɛda nneɛma a wɔabɔ mu nso. Nsonsonoe kɛse da nkwaboaa ne abɔde a nkwa nnim a wɔahyehyɛ no pɛpɛɛpɛ sen biara te sɛ ɔhyerɛmmo anaa sukyerɛmma kuw bi ntam.”

Eyi nkyerɛ sɛ ɛyɛ mmerɛw sɛ wɔbɛyɛ molecule. Molecules to Living Cells nhoma no kyerɛkyerɛ mu sɛ “sɛnea molecule te no yɛ nwonwa mmoroso.” Nanso, ɛde ka ho sɛ, sɛ wɔde molecule a wɔyɛ no “toto nea ɛma nkwaboaa ba no ho a, ɛnsɛ hwee koraa.”

Nkwaboaa biako pɛ tumi tra ase sɛ abɔde te sɛ bacteria, anaasɛ dodow no ara tumi bom tra ase sɛ onipa. Nkwammoaa 500 na ɛne kasamu yi osiwiei bɛyɛ pɛ. Enti ɛnyɛ nwonwa sɛ aniwa nkutoo ntumi nhu dwuma a nkwammoaa di no. Ɛnde, sɛ wɔde maekroskop hwɛ nkwammoaa a ɛka bom yɛ nipadua no mu biako mu a, dɛn na wohu?

Nkwaboaa—Ɛno Ara na Ɛbae Anaasɛ Wɔbɔe?

Nea edi kan koraa no, sɛnea nkwammoaa yɛ nwonwa fa no ma obi ho dwiriw no. Nyansahu ho sɛnkyerɛwfo bi kae sɛ: “Sɛnea nkwaboaa a ɛba fam no mpo nyin no gye adufra mu nsakrae a ɛfata ɔpedudu pii.” Obisae sɛ: “Ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na nsakrae 20,000 atumi akɔ so prɛko pɛ wɔ nkwaboaa ketewaa biako mu?”

Michael Denton de nkwammoaa a wosusua sen biara no mpo totoo “adwinnan ketewaa bi a mfiri a ɛyɛ nwonwa koraa sen nea nnipa ayɛ biara wɔ nneɛma a nkwa nnim no mu ɔpepem pii a atɔm ɔpepepem ɔha na ɛwɔ ne nyinaa mu wom ho.”

Sɛnea nkwammoaa yɛ nwonwa fa no kyere nyansahufo adwene sɛnea The New York Times a ɛbaa February 15, 2000, kae no: “Dodow a abɔde a nkwa wom ho animdefo te nkwammoaa ho nsɛm ase no, dodow no ara na ɛyɛ den sɛ wobehu dwuma biara a wodi. Nkwammoaa a wɔwɔ nnipa mu yɛ biribi a esua koraa, nanso bere biara su 100,000 a ekura no mu 30,000 ayɛ krado sɛ ebedi nsɛm a ɛkɔ so wɔ nkwammoaa no mu no ho dwuma anaasɛ ɛne nkwammoaa afoforo bedi nkitaho.”

Times bisae sɛ: “Ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na wɔatumi ayɛ afiri a esua na ɛkyere adwene saa mu nhwehwɛmu? Na sɛ wɔbɔ mmɔden kɛse te onipa mu nkwaboaa biako ho nsɛm ase mpo a, anyɛ yiye koraa no, nkwammoaa ahorow a ɛsono emu biara su 200 na ɛwɔ nipadua no mu.”

Nature nsɛmma nhoma bɔɔ amanneɛ wɔ asɛm bi a wɔato din “Adebɔ Mu Mfiri” mu kaa tumi a ɛwɔ nipadua no nkwaboaa biara mu a wɔahu ho asɛm. Eyinom boa ma wonya biribi a wɔfrɛ no adenosine triphosphate, a emu na nkwammoaa no nya tumi fi. Nyansahufo bi bisae sɛ: “Dɛn na yebetumi ayɛ bere a yesua sɛnea yɛyɛ abɔde mu nneɛma nketenkete akwaa a ɛte sɛ nea yehu wɔ nkwammoaa mu no?”

Susuw anwonwade a ɛwɔ nkwammoaa mu no ho hwɛ! Nsɛm a ɛwɔ yɛn nipadua mu nkwammoaa no biako pɛ mu DNA mu no bɛkɔ nkratafa a emu biara te sɛ eyi ɔpepem biako so! Nea ɛsen saa no, bere biara a nkwaboaa bi mu bɛpae ama foforo aba no, nkwaboaa foforo no nya saa nsɛm koro no ara bi. Wususuw sɛ ɔkwan bɛn so na wɔyɛɛ nhyehyɛe maa nkwaboaa biara—a bɛyɛ ɔpepepepem 100 na ɛwɔ wo nipadua mu—benyaa saa nsɛm yi nyinaa? So ɛno ara na ɛbae, anaasɛ Ɔbɔadeɛ Kɛse bi na ɔyɛɛ ne nyinaa?

Ebia woanya adwene a abɔde a nkwa wom ho nimdefo Russell Charles Artist nyae no bi. Ɔkae sɛ: “Yɛrehyia nsɛnnennen kɛse wɔ mmɔden a yɛrebɔ sɛ yebehu sɛnea [nkwammoaa] no fii ase ne sɛnea ɛyɛ adwuma no ho ma enti ɛsɛ sɛ yefi ntease mu gye tom sɛ obi a onim nyansa na ɔbɔe.”

Sɛnea Wɔahyehyɛ Nneɛma Wɔ Anwonwakwan So

Mfe bi a atwam no, Kirtley F. Mather, a saa bere no na ɔyɛ abotan ne dɔte ho kyerɛkyerɛfo wɔ Harvard Sukuupɔn mu no kaa asɛm a edi hɔ yi: “Yɛnte amansan bi a emu nneɛma ayɛ hwanyann mu, na mmom, nea Mmara ne Nhyehyɛe kɔ so wom mu. Dwumadi a ɛkɔ so wom no yɛ wɔano wɔano, na ɛfata sɛ yɛkyerɛ obu kɛse wɔ ho. Susuw akontaabu a ɛyɛ nwonwa a ɛda adi wɔ adebɔ mu a ɛma yehu atɔm dodow a ɛwɔ element biara mu no ho.”

Ma yensusuw saa “akontaabu a ɛyɛ nwonwa a ɛda adi wɔ adebɔ mu” no ho kakra. Elementa a na tetefo nim no bi ne sika kɔkɔɔ, dwetɛ, kɔbere, sanyaa, ne dade. Ɔbo ne dɔte ho nimdefo huu arsenic, bismuth, ne antimony wɔ Mfinimfini Mmere no mu, na akyiri yi, wɔ 1700 mfe no mu no, wohuu element afoforo pii. Wɔ 1863 mu no, wɔde mfoninitwa afiri bi a etumi hu kɔla soronko a efi element biara mu ba no, huu indium, a ɛno ne element a ɛto so 63 no.

Saa bere no, Russiani dufrafo Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleyev kae sɛ element no amma ara kwa. Awiei koraa, wɔ March 18, 1869 no, wɔkenkanee ne kyerɛwtohɔ a wɔato din “Element Nhyehyɛe Ho Nsɛntitiriw” no kyerɛɛ Russia Adufra Fekuw no. Ɔkae sɛ: ‘Mepɛ sɛ mede nhyehyɛe bi si hɔ a ɛnyɛ biribi a ɛbae ara kwa na ɛkerɛ ne kwan na mmom nnyinasosɛm pɔtee bi.’

Mendeleyev kae wɔ krataa a agye din yi mu sɛ: “Ɛsɛ sɛ yɛkɔ so hwɛ kwan sɛ yebehu element nketewa pii a ennya nnaa adi no; sɛ nhwɛso no, nea ɛte sɛ aluminum ne silicon, element a emu duru te sɛ atɔm 65 kosi 75 de no.” Element foforo 16 wɔ hɔ a Mendeleyev anka ho asɛm. Bere a wobisaa no adanse ko a ɛfoa nea ɔkae no so no, obuae sɛ: “Enhia sɛ mede adanse biara ma. Efĩ biara nni adebɔ mu mmara, a ɛnte sɛ kasa mmara no ho.” Ɔde kaa ho sɛ: “Misusuw sɛ sɛ element a mereka ho asɛm yi da adi a, nnipa pii bɛyɛ asõ ama yɛn.”

Saa pɛpɛɛpɛ na ɛbae! Encyclopedia Americana kyerɛkyerɛ mu sɛ: “Wɔ mfe 15 a edi hɔ no mu no, gallum, scandium, ne germanium a wohui, a ɛte sɛ nea Mendeleyev kaa ho asɛm no, ma ɛbɛdaa adi sɛ nea ɔkae no yɛ nokware.” Eduu afeha a ɛto so 20 mfiase no, na wɔahu element ahorow a ɛwɔ hɔ nyinaa.

Ɛda adi pefee sɛ, sɛnea Elmer W. Maurer, adufra ho nhwehwɛmufo, kae no, “saa nhyehyɛe a edi mũ yi amma ara kwa.” Ɛdefa ka a wɔka sɛ hyehyɛ a element ahorow no ahyehyɛ ne ho pɛpɛɛpɛ no bae ara kwa ho no, John Cleveland Cothran a ɔyɛ adufra mu ɔbenfo no kae sɛ: “Element ahorow a [Mendeleyev] kae sɛ ɛwɔ hɔ a wohuu akyiri yi ne nneɛma a ɔkae sɛ ɛwom no nyinaa a wohui no yii adwenem naayɛ biara fii hɔ. Wɔmfrɛ n’asɛm a ɔkae no ‘Akontaabu Pon a Ɛno Ara Hyehyɛɛ Ne Ho.’ Mmom no, wɔfrɛ no ‘Akontaabu Pon a Wɔnam Mmara so Hyehyɛe.’”

Element ahorow no ne sɛnea ɛbom yɛ biribiara wɔ amansan no mu ho nhwehwɛmu a edi mũ a wɔyɛe no kaa abɔde mu nneɛma ho nimdefo a wagye din, P. A. M. Dirac, a na ɔyɛ akontaabu ho ɔbenfo wɔ Cambridge Sukuupɔn mu no ma ɔkae sɛ: “Ebia obi betumi akyerɛkyerɛ tebea no mu denam ka a ɔbɛka sɛ Onyankopɔn yɛ nkontaabufo kɛse, na ɔde nkontaabu a emu dɔ dii dwuma wɔ amansan yi hyehyɛ mu no so.”

Nokwarem no, ɛyɛ anigye sɛ yɛbɛyɛ nneɛma a aniwa nkutoo ntumi nhu te sɛ atɔm a esusua koraa, molecule, nkwammoaa ne nsoromma kuw akɛse no mu nhwehwɛmu! Ɛsɛ sɛ saa suahu yi ma yɛbrɛ yɛn ho ase. Eyi ma wote nka dɛn? Dɛn na saa nneɛma yi ma wuhu? So wuhu pii sen nea w’aniwa nkutoo tumi hu?

[Ase hɔ asɛm]

[Adaka/Mfonini wɔ kratafa 5]

Ɛyɛ Den Dodo Sɛ Aniwa Betumi Ahu

Esiane sɛ ɔpɔnkɔ ho yɛ hare paa nti, na nnipa a wɔwɔ hɔ afeha a ɛto so 19 no adwene nsi wɔn pi sɛ ebia ne nan nyinaa ka fam bere a ɔretu mmirika no anaa. Awiei koraa, wɔ 1872 mu no, Eadweard Muybridge nam mfonini bi a otwae so maa obiara adwene sii no pi. Onyaa ɔkwan bi a ɔnam so betwa bere a ɔpɔnkɔ fi ase tu mmirika denneennen no ho mfonini.

Muybridge de mfoninitwa mfiri 24 sisii hɔ maa kwan dedaa ntam kakra. Wɔde hama sãã mfoninitwa mfiri no mu biara so twaa kwan no mu, na bere biara a ɔpɔnkɔ no de mmirika bɛsen no otia hama no so ma mfiri no twa. Mfonini ahorow a otwae no daa no adi sɛ, ɛtɔ da a, ɔpɔnkɔ no nan nka fam koraa.

[Asɛm Fibea]

Courtesy George Eastman House

[Mfonini wɔ kratafa 7]

Dɛn nti na nsukyenee tɛn nsu ani mmom na ɛnkɔ ase?

[Mfonini wɔ kratafa 7]

DNA “molecule” no kɛse yɛ nsateakwaa mu nkyekyem 10,000,000, nanso, nsɛm a ɛwom no begye nkratafa ɔpepem biako

[Asɛm Fibea]

DNA a ɛwɔ kɔmputa so: Donald Struthers/Tony Stone Images

[Mfonini wɔ kratafa 8]

Wɔ nipadua mu nkwaboaa biara—a wɔn nyinaa dodow yɛ ɔpepepepem 100—mu no, nsakrae ɔpedudu pii kɔ so wɔano wɔano

[Asɛm Fibea]

Copyright Dennis Kunkel, University of Hawaii

[Mfonini ahorow wɔ kratafa 9]

Russiani dufrafo Mendeleyev kyerɛe sɛ “element” ahorow no amma ara kwa

[Asɛm Fibea]

Courtesy National Library of Medicine