emergent properties

(noun)

Properties found in compound structures that are different from those of the individual components and would not be predicted based on the properties of the individual components.

Related Terms

Examples of emergent properties in the following topics:

  • The Periodic Table

    • The periodic table is a means of organizing the various elements according to similar physical and chemical properties.
    • Salt (NaCl) is a good example of a compound with emergent properties.
    • As elements are bonded together they form compounds that often have new emergent properties that are different from the properties of the individual elements.
    • Life is an example of an emergent property that arises from the specific collection of molecules found in cells.
    • They also share properties with both the metals and the nonmetals.

  • Properties of Water

  • Phylum Nemertea

    • They show bilateral symmetry and remarkable contractile properties.
    • Paired longitudinal nerve cords emerge from the brain ganglia, extending to the posterior end.

  • History of Bacterial Diseases

    • This definition also includes re-emerging diseases that were previously under control.
    • Brucellosis is an example of a prokaryotic zoonosis that is re-emerging in some regions.
    • The WHO has identified certain diseases whose worldwide re-emergence should be monitored.
    • The map shows regions where bacterial diseases are emerging or reemerging.
    • Give examples of historical, new, and re-emerging bacterial diseases in humans

  • Water’s Cohesive and Adhesive Properties

    • This water can stay above the glass because of the property of cohesion.
    • These cohesive forces are related to water's property of adhesion, or the attraction between water molecules and other molecules.
    • Without these properties of water, plants would be unable to receive the water and the dissolved minerals they require.
    • Water's cohesive and adhesive properties allow this water strider (Gerris sp.) to stay afloat.

  • Physical Properties of Soil

  • Water’s Polarity

    • Water's polarity is responsible for many of its properties including its attractiveness to other molecules.
    • One of water's important properties is that it is composed of polar molecules.
    • While there is no net charge to a water molecule, the polarity of water creates a slightly positive charge on hydrogen and a slightly negative charge on oxygen, contributing to water's properties of attraction.

  • Water’s Solvent Properties

  • Development of the Seed

    • As the seed germinates, the primary root emerges, protected by the root-tip covering: the coleorhiza.
    • Next, the primary shoot emerges, protected by the coleoptile: the covering of the shoot tip.
    • At the other end of the embryonic axis, the primary root soon dies, while other, adventitious roots emerge from the base of the stem .
    • Depending on seed size, the time it takes a seedling to emerge may vary.
    • As this monocot grass seed germinates, the primary root, or radicle, emerges first, followed by the primary shoot, or coleoptile, and the adventitious roots.

  • Organic Isomers

    • Isomers are molecules with the same chemical formula but have different structures, which creates different properties in the molecules.
    • Both molecules have four carbons and ten hydrogens (C4H10), but the different arrangement of the atoms within the molecules leads to differences in their chemical properties.
    • For example, due to their different chemical properties, butane is suited for use as a fuel for cigarette lighters and torches, whereas isobutane is suited for use as a refrigerant and a propellant in spray cans.