Chapter 1 Flashcards
An element is
a pure substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances using ordinary chemical or physical techniques
the smallest particle of an element is an _________. Elements differ from one another in their ________ __________
atom, atomic structure
Atoms bind together in fixed numbers and ratios to form _____________
molecules
A chemical compound is
a stable combination of different elements that are held together by chemical bonds
what are organic compounds?
compounds that contain carbon & hydrogen bonds (akhtar & google!
organic compounds in living organism are primarily composed of
carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. they often include nitrogen as well
about ___ elements made up living organisms
25
what elements make up 96% of the weight of living organisms?
Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen
Most of the remaining 4% of the weight of living organisms is made up of only 7 other elements:
Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sulfur, Sodium, Chlorine, & Magnesium
- these elements often occur as ions or in inorganic compounds in organisms
(Polly Poppy Came Surfing. Super Cool & Majestic)
Trace Elements
the remaining of the 25 elements are found in such small amounts (<1%), they are called trace elements
- Ex. Iodine & Iron (Fe)
- deficiency in any trace elements=health problems
atoms are
the smallest units that can retain the chemical and physical properties of a particular element
- rmr atoms don’t have a charge, ions do
electrons are not included in the mass number cuz
their mass is negligible compared to the mass of protons and neutrons
Isotopes
are different forms of the same element, with different atomic masses
- since they have the same # of p+ & e-, the behave the same in a chemical reaction
a radioisotope is
a radioactive isotope of an element
-they generally behave the same way in cells as non-radioactive isotopes
Radioactivity
the nuclei of some isotopes or an element are unstable and tend to break down (decay), giving off matter that can be detected as radioactivity
- the radiation from isotopes may damage living cell molecules
GOOGLE: the release of energy from the decay of the nuclei of certain kinds of atoms and isotopes.
Carbon-12 accounts for __% of all carbon in nature
99
Radioactive Decay of Carbon-14
C-14 is an unstable isotope of carbon.
- it decays, giving off particles & energy.
- as it decays, 1 neutron splits into a high-energy electron & a proton. –> it then has 7 neutrons & 7 electrons & protons.
- this is characteristic of the most common form of nitrogen.
- the decay of C-14 transforms carbon atom into nitrogen atom
the rate of decay of a radioactive isotope is _______________ of chemical reactions or environmental conditions
independent
Radioactive decay occurs at a _________ _______, with a constant proportion of radioactive breakdown during a given interval of time
steady rate
Radioactive tracers
are radioisotopes that are used to follow a specific chemical through a chemical reaction
- used because radioactive isotopes give off a radioactive signal as they decay that is easily detectable in cells.
- using the particles emitted as a signal, specialists can trace the the path of the radioisotope as it moves to different parts of the body
- this way, radioactive isotopes have found many applications in biological, chemical, & medical research
Scientist Melvin Calvin
- pioneer in photosynthesis study
- used carbon-14 labelled molecules to determine sequence of reactions in photosynthesis
Uses of Radioactive isotopes
- study biochemical reactions
- perform basic techniques like DNA sequencing
- since most biological molecules contain C & H, carbon-14 & hydrogen-3 (aka tritium) as used as tracers in research
- used in new field of nuclear medicine to help diagnosis & treatment of diseases–> ex, thyroid gland produces hormones that affect growth & metabolism–> it’s the only gland that absorbs iodine. –> if pt’s symptoms indicate an abnormal level of thyroid hormone output, the doc may inject a small amount of radioactive iodine-131 into pt & use a photographic device to scan the gland–> the radioactivity will produce an image like an x-ray, which helps identify the cause
the arrangement of electrons determines the __________ _________ of an atom
chemical properties
- cuz only electrons are usually involved in a chemical reaction
An orbital is
a region of space that 1 or 2 electrons can occupy
- most stable & balanced condition occurs when the orbital contains 2 electrons