Martin D. Kamen, whose discovery of the element carbon-14 made it possible for biologists to decipher the complex chemistry of the living cell, died Aug. 31 at his home in Montecito.

There are 118 known chemical elements, but carbon is the fourth most abundant and perhaps the most important to human life. ... who discovered them and explored their various forms.

Carbon is one of the most abundant elements and forms a very large number of compounds, ... And it uses them: Nearly 10 million carbon compounds have been discovered, ...

There are 118 known chemical elements, but carbon is the fourth most abundant and perhaps the most important to human life. ... who discovered them and explored their various forms.