Final answer:
A cohesive agent binds two things together, and in chemistry, this includes forces like cohesive and adhesive forces and bonds such as covalent and peptide bonds.
Step-by-step explanation:
A cohesive agent holds two things together. In the context of chemistry, various forces and bonds act as agents to keep elements and molecules bound to one another. Cohesive forces, for example, are responsible for the attraction between molecules of the same substance, such as water molecules sticking to each other due to hydrogen bonding. On the other hand, adhesive forces are those that allow different materials or surfaces to cling together. An important cohesive agent at the atomic level is the electromagnetic force, which includes covalent bonds where atoms share electrons.
Additionally, a specific example is the peptide bond, which is formed between two amino acids by a dehydration reaction and is essential in the structure of proteins. Chemical agents like solvents and compounds can manipulate these cohesive elements through processes such as decomposition reactions or denaturation.