Chlorine, symbol Cl, is a greenish-yellow gaseous element. In group 17 of the periodic table, chlorine is one of the halogens. The atomic number of chlorine is 17. Chlorine is a greenish yellow gas, which combines directly with nearly all elements. It is a gas at normal temperature and pressure, but because it is highly reactive it is not found as a gas in nature. Instead, it appears as naturally occurring organochlorine compounds and salts. It is …
showed first 75 words of 611 total

showed last 75 words of 611 total
…essential role in the survival of these organisms. On land, some 300 natural chlorine-based compounds are known to be produced by terrestrial fungi and plants. These range from the chloromethane released by wood-rotting fungi to complex chlorinated polyacetylenes made by plants of the Aster family. In terrestrial plants, organochlorines often act as anti-feedants to protect the plant from attack by insects or herbivores. So, as you can see, chlorine is a very essential element in life.