Chemical Bonds

All living things are made of atoms, and they interact with each other to form molecules. The atoms in the molecules are held together by chemical bonds and hence behave like a single entity. Due to the variable strength of the bonds, it helps in holding together the molecules within a component. The Chemical bond’s importance is observed across all living organisms for several regulatory and metabolic functions. There are various types of chemical bonds, and each of them has its properties. The article discusses the bonds and how they hold together the atoms in detail.

Formation of Chemical Bonds Between Atoms

The atoms come together and form various types of chemical bonds due to electrostatic attraction between electrons which are negatively charged and positively charged protons. The force of attraction which combines two or more atoms form the bonds. When the atoms come close to each other, the chemical bond is formed due to the redistribution of electrons. Hence, bond helps in acquiring stable electronic configuration leading to stabilisation of the bonded molecules. Here are the ways by which the chemical bonds are formed between the atoms:

• When one atom loses one or more electrons to another atom
• When one atom gains one or more electrons to another atom
• When electrons are shared between the atoms

Major Types of Chemical Bonds 

The interaction between two or more atoms leads to various types of bonds. Here are the types of chemical bonds due to the atoms coming together:

• Ionic Bond – When an atom becomes more stable by losing or gaining an electron, it leads to the formation of an ion which is a charged particle. Cations are positive ions formed due to losing electrons, while anions are negative ions formed due to gaining electrons. These bonds are formed between a metal and non-metal due to the complete transfer of one or more electrons from one atom to another. These are formed between ions of different charges. An example includes NaCl, where Na and Cl combine with sodium donating one electron while chlorine accepts it.
• Covalent Bond – In this chemical bond, the bond between two atoms is strengthened by sharing the electrons. In this type of bond, the atoms share the electrons only from the outermost ring with another atom. It majorly occurs between non-metallic substances. An example is water (H2O), where hydrogen and oxygen form a bond by sharing electrons. The covalent bonds are of two types.

Polar covalent bonds are when the electrons are unequally shared by the atoms, which leads to the development of slightly positive and slightly negative charges in different parts of the molecule.

Non-polar covalent bonds are those in which the bonds are formed between two atoms of the same or different elements, and electrons are shared equally.

• Hydrogen Bond – These are chemical bonds in which the hydrogen atom of one molecule forms a bond with the electronegative atom of another molecule. It leads to the formation of dipole results due to the strong attraction of the hydrogen atom towards the electronegative atom.

Out of the three chemical bonds, the strong one is the covalent bond, as in this, the bond is formed between two atoms due to the mutual sharing of electrons. The ionic bond follows this, and the weakest is the hydrogen bond because it is easy to break the bond created between the hydrogen atom and the electronegative atom of another molecule.

Chemical bonds are important in various ways 

The chemical bonds are important for living organisms as it helps in creating stability and is crucial for overall regulatory and metabolic functionality. The bonds are important for bringing together atoms and forming molecules.

• The chemical bonds are crucial for the survival of living forms as it helps with managing the overall human physiology. As the atoms are held together with the help of the bonds, it helps with homeostasis, cellular signalling and functioning of many biological processes.
• The chemical bond’s importance is even important in drug manufacturing and hence is a significant facet of chemistry.
• Hydrogen bonds hold together two strands of DNA in the double helix, and hence it is important in genetics.
• The NaCl is an example of a covalent bond which is salt, and hence it functions as an electrolyte which is important for various regulations in the body.

Conclusion

The article gives a basic introduction to chemical bonds, various types, and how each bond is formed. The bond is formed by either sharing the electrons, gaining or losing an electron to another atom, or forming a bond of the hydrogen molecule to an electronegative atom of another molecule. The most common forms of chemical bonds include covalent, ionic, and hydrogen bonds. The covalent bonds are strongest as it is formed due to the mutual sharing of the electrons and hence stabilises the bond between the atoms. The chemical bonds importance is found in various physiological processes in living organisms and various synthetic production.