>> From Webster's Dictionary and any basic chemistry text:  Chloride is the
> term used for any binary compound of chlorine.  Any compound termed a
> chloride contains chlorine, including sodium chloride.  Also, another ex.
> carbon tetrachloride is carbon combined with chlorine.  Calcium chloride
> is calcium bound with chlorine.  Potassium chloride is potassium bound
> with chlorine.
>

Well, Webster's isn't the best source for this kind of thing. What Stephen
Feldman wrote is correct. There is no, or shouldn't be, any chlorine
containing compounds in the body. To be more specific, there are no
covalently bound chlorine atoms in our bodies. Chloride, or the negative
ion of a chlorine atom, is very commmon, however. It is ionically bonded to
other, positive, ions. The physics/chemistry of ionic and covalent bonds
are quite different. Covalently bound atoms share at least one electron
pair. These are VERY strong bonds compared to ionic bonds. If the covalent
bond is broken, the individual atoms enter a very high energy state and
will try to form covalent bonds with nearby molecules -- altering them.
This is why PCBs are so dangerouse. The chlorine atoms in PCBs have
reletively weak covalent bonds that can be broken in our bodies. Once
liberated, these free chlorine atoms are highly reactive and will attach to
organic molecules, altering their chemistry in potentially damaging ways.

>In inorganic chemistry most chemical compounds (molecules) consist of
>combinations of acids and alkalies resulting in the formation of salts.
>Thus sodium chloride is the result of a combination of hydrochloric acid
>(acidic) and sodium hydroxide (alkaline).  The same molecule of sodium
>chloride can be obtained by the direct reaction of chlorine gas on sodium
>metal.  The latter reaction also results in the formation of a large amount
>of heat and can lead to fire or explostion.

I'm sorry, but this is simply incorrect. The vast majority of chemical
compounds are made up of covalently bound atoms, e.g water, celluolose, all
proteins, sugars and fatty acids (except for the hydrogen ion which is
ionically bonded), DNA, RNA, ATP, chlorophyl, diamonds, chlorine gas,
hydrogen gas, etc. Simple ionic substance, like NaCl are not, by
definition, molecules.  Molecules are made up of covalently bonded atoms.
If Sporek claims sodium chloride is a molecule, he is simply wrong. From
Encyclopedia Britannica:

"Not all substances are made up of distinct molecular units. Sodium
chloride (common table salt ), for example, consists of sodium ions and
chloride ions arranged in a lattice so that each sodium ion is surrounded
by six equidistant chloride ions and each chloride ion is surrounded by six
equidistant sodium ions. The forces acting between any sodium and any
adjacent chloride ion are equal. Hence, no distinct aggregate identifiable
as a molecule of sodium chloride exists. Consequently, in sodium chloride
and in all solids of similar type--in general, all salts--the concept of
the chemical molecule has no significance. The formula for such a compound,
however, is given as the simplest ratio of the atoms--in the case of sodium
chloride, NaCl. "


Sodium Chloride is not covalently bonded and, hence, is not a molecule. The
ionic bond between Sodium and chloride ions is a simple electronic
attraction. This is a much weaker bond than a covalent bond (an order of
magnitude at least). It is so weak, in fact, that the bond can be broken by
putting salt into water at room temperature. The significance of this is
that a chloride ion, even though too much of it might be harmful, is much
less reactive and dangerouse that a chlorine atom. And, of course, the same
can be said of sodium. Any chlorine or sodium atoms in your body would not
be good.

Peter Wendell