Biochemistry Chapter 4-AP Bio Part 1 Flashcards
How does carbon enter the biosphere
Through the action of plants and other photosynthetic organisms
Living organisms are mostly made up of _________
Carbon
Plants use solar energy to transform _____________ into _____________
Atmospheric CO2 into the molecules of life, which are then taken in by plant eating organisms
Why is carbon special
It is unparalleled in its ability to firm mo,due,s that are large complex and varied, making possible the diversity of organisms that have evolve on earth n
What molecules distinguish living matter from inanimate material
Proteins, DNA, carbohydrates… made up of HNOPS and mainly carbon
Organic chemistry
The study of organic compounds (compounds containing carbon)
What were organic compounds thought to arise from
Living organisms, which were believed to contain a life force beyond the jurisdiction of physical and chemical laws.
Fredrich Wohler
A German chemist who tried to make an “inorganic” salt, (ammonium cyanate) by mixing solutions of ammonium ions (NH4+) and cyanate ions (CHO-)
What did Wohler actually create
Urea, an organic compound present in the urine of animals
What did Miller conclude
Complex organic molecules could arise spontaneously under early earth conditions.
How is the common evolutionary origin of all life evident
The relatively uniform percentages of CHONPS in all organisms
How are a variety of organic molecules possible
Carbon’s ability to form bonds
How are different species of organisms and different individuals within a species distinguished
By the variations in the types of organic molecules they create
