CHEMISTRY OF LIVING THINGS
ICBS 130
Chapter 2 Body Structures
CHEMISTRY
Study of the structure of matter.Composition of substances
Their properties Chemical reactions
BiochemistryStudy of chemical reactions of living things
MATTER
Matter can not be destroyed or created.Can change form though
Gas into liquid, solid into liquid, liquid into gas
Energy
Ability to do work or put matter into motion
Body Energy
Potential energyStored energy in the cellsWaiting to be used
Kinetic EnergyResults in motion/movement
Potential energy,is energy at rest
ATOMS
Smallest piece of an element Made up of subatomic particles
Protons Positive charge and is one component of a nucleus
Neutrons No charge and is the 2nd component of a nucleus
Electrons Negative charge and are arranged around the nucleus
Atom
How the atom is arranged at the subatomic level tells us what type of atom it is.Such as the difference between oxygen and
carbon
Elements
Are alike atoms (same type) that have formed togetherSo if you have a single substance such as
calcium, this would be an atom. If the like substance is grouped together, it is
an element.elementsatom
Compounds
Are different types of elements combined together.
The elements may change form when added together.
Table salt
Na (sodium) + Cl (chlorine)
Compounds that are put together usea “formula”
Common elements and compounds
Molecules
Is the smallest part of a compound that still acts like a compound.
So if you take an earthworm (compound) and cut it up into small pieces (molecule), it’s still an earthworm as it will still move about and grow.Or take a cup of water and a teaspoon of water. It’s still water but in a smaller size.
Ions
Chemical bonds formed by electrons. If atom Red gives up an electron to another
atom to form a bond, the Red atom will now have a positive charge.
If Yellow atom takes the extra electron and forms a bond, the Yellow atom will now have a negative charge.
Electrolytes
When compounds are in a solution and have broken down to ions.Helps break down materials to be altered and
helps form new substances or compounds.Responsible for the + and – charges within
tissue.
Organic Compounds
Found in all living things Always contain carbon Can combine with other elements to form
a large number of organic compounds. 4 Major Groups
Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.
Carbohydrates
Divided into 3 groupsMonosaccharides (1 sugar or simple)
Glucose (glycogen), fructose (fruit)
Disaccharides (2 or double sugar) Sucrose (table sugar), maltose (malt sugar), and
lactose (milk sugar) Have to be broken down into monosaccharides
before the body can digest it.
Carbohydrates con’t…
Polysaccharides (large/complex sugar) Starch (potatoes), cellulose (plant tissue), and
glycogen. Must be broken down into disaccharides and then
monosaccharides before it can be digested.
Lipids
Contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.Fats
Contain glycerol and fatty acids. AKA triglycerides, very abundant in the body
Phospholipids Contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and
phosphorus Found in the brain, nervous tissue, and cell membranes.
Lipids con’t…
Steroids Contain cholesterol
Essential to the cell membrane Manufactures vitamin D Production of male and female hormones Helps make cortisol Can accumulate in the arteries Found in meat, eggs, and cheese Liver manufactures cholesterol
Proteins
Organic compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.Some contain phosphorus and sulfur.
Found in all living things and every part of a cell.
Viruses have outer coats made of proteins
Proteins con’t…
Binding and structural capacity as in fingernails, hair, cartilage, ligaments, tendons, and muscles.Small molecular units of proteins are called
Amino Acids.
Proteins are complicated.
Enzymes
Found in all living cells Have a specialized function;
Help control various chemical reactions within the cell.
Help provide energyHelp make new cell partsAKA organic catalyst
Nucleic Acids
Organic compound Largest known organic molecule Known as DNA and RNA
DNA
Process of heredity Double stranded 46 chromosomes Chromosomes contain about 100,000 genes. Genetic information tells a cell what it will
become or function as. Passes the information from one generation to
the next.
RNA
Single stranded 3 Different types
m-RNA Messenger RNA, carries instructions for protein synthesis
t-RNA Transfer RNA, picks up amino acids in the cytoplasm and transfers them to the ribosomes to form proteins.
r-RNA Ribosomal RNA, helps in the attachment of the m-RNA to the ribosome.
http://exploringorigins.org/rna.html
Acids
Sour taste Substance that ends up with + ions Turn test paper (litmus) red
Hydrochloric acid – found in stomachAcetic acid – found in vinegarSulfuric acid – found in batteries
Bases
Alkali substance In water, changes to + charged ions Bitter taste Slippery Turn test paper blue
Milk of magnesiaHousehold liquid cleaners
Neutralization and salts
When an acid and base are mixed together it forms salt and water.Reaction to the combination is called
Neutralization.
PH Scale
Used to measure the alkalinity or acidity of a solution.
Homeostasis
A state in which the body functions properly.
Maintaining a proper ph level in the body.
Homeostasis con’t…
Intracellular:Fluid within a cell
ExtracellularFluid surrounding the cell
With proper maintenance homeostasis exist in the body all the way to the cellular level allowing exchanges to take place in and out of the cell.
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