Chemisity of Life Flashcards
What are atoms?
The structural units of matter
What is matter?
Any substance that has mass and takes up space, made up of atoms
Atomic nucleus (center of atom), contains:
Protons (+ charge)
Neutrons (no charge)
Electrons ( - charge)
Atomic number (#)
The number (#) of protons in the nucleus
The atomic number (#) determines the ________ of the atom
Characteristics (Ex. It determinists what element It is)
Element s are arranged in the periodic table according to their:
Atomic number (#)
of protons and # of neutrons makes up the:
Atomic weight
Helium has 2 protons, 2 neutrons , 2 electrons.
What’s the atomic #?
What’s the atomic weight?
Atomic # = 2
Atomic weight = 4
Electrons orbit around the nucleus.
True or false
True
Different atoms have different electron shell arrangements due to______
The # of electrons they have
The outermost layer of electrons are known as:
Valence Electrons
The valence electrons of different atoms interact to form:
Chemical bonds
Atoms bond together to form :
Molecules Ex. H2O
Why is water so important to life?
Water interacts with many other molecules
Ex. Photosynthesis and digestion
H20 is an excellent solvent due to its:
Polar nature
H20 is a:
Solvent
H20 forms:
ions
H20 easily degrades into ___ and _____
H+ and OH-
Acids have a lot of
H+ (protons)
Alkaline (basic) solutions have a lot of
OH- (hydroxyl ions)
What measures the amount of H+ and OH- in a solution?
Ph Scale
What’s the Ph of Acids?
<7
What is the ph level of bases?
> 7
What’s the ph level of neutral?
7
Carbon (C) can form as many as 4 bonds with other atoms meaning________
It can form large,complicated molecules
What contains both (C) and (H) atoms?
Organic molecules
A small subunit molecule which can bond with other monomers to form a large molecule chain (polymer)
Monomer
A large molecule composed of monomers (repeating subunits)
Polymer
The chemical RXN which breaks down large molecules (polymers) into smaller ones (monomers)
H20 is absorbed
Hydrolysis
How are biological molecules joined together or broken apart?
Dehydration synthesis
The chemical relaxation which connects small molecules (monomers) to form large ones.
H20 is released through this process
Dehydration synthesis
What organic molecules are found in living organisms
Carbohydrates (sugars)
Lipids (fats)
Proteins ( proteins)
Nucleic acid ( DNA)
What are carbohydrates and what are they mostly formed by?
Sugars and formed mostly by plants ; end in -ose
A simple sugar
Glucose
Simple sugars are a important source of ____ for organisms
Energy
A carb. Consists of 1 sugar molecule
Monosaccharide (simple sugar)
2 sugars linked together
Disaccharide
What needs to happen to form sucrose?
Dehydration synthesis
3 or more sugars. Linked together
Ex.starch- sugar storage in plants
Ex. Glycogen- sugar storage in animals
Polysaccharide
A polysaccharide, provides structural support for plants.
Made of long chains of glucose subunits
Cellulose
What are Lipids?
Are hydrophobic = insoluble in H20
What are the groups of lipid?
Group 1 oils, fats and waxes
Group 2 phospholipids
Group 3 steroids
Group 1 oils,fats and waxes
Fats and oils form by dehydration synthesis of 3 fatty acid “tails” and a glycerol backbone
Lipids are used for
Energy storage in plants and animals
Fats and waxes are solid at room temp; oils are
Liquid
Has max amount of H, no double bonds; in animal products
Saturated fat
Has < max amount of H, has double bonds; in plant products
Unsaturated fat
