Bbuku litegwa Nature’s Building Blocks, lyakaamba kuti: “Kunyina cintu ciyandika kapati mubuumi kwiinda mboiyandika carbon.” Izintu zilibedelede izijanika mu carbon zipa kuti kaicikonzya kujatana ilikke alimwi azibeela zimbi zyama chemical, calo cipanga ma compound manji kapati, alo aazumanana kuzyibwa naa kupangwa.

Kweelana azikozyanyo eezyi mbozitondezya, maatomu aa carbon alimwi alakonzya kuvwelana kutegwa apange zintu ziindene-indene ziboneka mbuli macceni, pyramids, nweenwe, masenke, alimwi amatyubbu. Masimpe, carbon ncintu cigambya kapati!

DAIMONDI

Maatomu aa carbon apanga ma pyramid aategwa tetrahedrons, alo aapa kuti cintu ciyume alimwi akupa kuti daimondi kacili cintu ciyumu kapati. Daimondi ini-ini inga ni molecule yomwe buyo yamaatomu aa carbon.

GRAPHITE

Maatomu aa carbon aajatene antoomwe aabikkwa muzibunga-bunga zitajatene zyalo izikonzya kuululuka mbuli mapepa aali amulwi. Akaambo kakucita boobu, graphite ncibelesyo cibotu kapati icikonzya kupa kuti zintu kazitacumbani alimwi ncecibelesyo icibelesyegwa kupanga tumyoyo twamapensulu. *

GRAPHENE

Eeci caamba cibunga comwe camaatomu aa carbon aabikkidwe munzila iipanga tupulo-pulo tuboneka mbuli hexagon. Graphene ninjumu kapati kanji-kanji ninjumu kwiinda lubulo (steel). Bulembo bwapensulu bulakonzya kuti kabujisi graphene syoonto ili mucibunga comwe buyo naa izili mbozibede.

 FULLERENES

Aaya ma molecules aa carbon alaboola mumisyobo iindene-indene calo icibikkilizya atubbola tukonzya kubonwa buyo kwiinda mukubelesya muncini wa microscope alimwi atutyubbu twiitwa kuti nanotubes. Alapimwa kwiinda mukubelesya zyuulu zyamamiliyoni aamamita (nanometers), naa mamita aamabbiliyoni (billionths).

ZINTU ZIPONA

Maseelo manji aapanga zisyango, banyama, alimwi abantu azwa kubumpiyompiyo bwa carbon—icintu cijanika muzilyo izipa nguzu (carbohydrates), mafwuta, alimwi abusani buyaka mubili (amino acids).