Chemistry Flashcards
What is the lowest level of structural organization?
The chemical level
How much of one’s body weight is made up by water?
Nearly 2/3 (textbook pg. 27)
Give an example of a solid in the body
Bones and teeth
Give an example of a liquid in the body
Blood plasma
Give an example of a gas in the body
Oxygen (O2), Carbon dioxide (CO2)
How many chemical elements are normally present in the body?
26 (textbook pg. 28)
What are the major elements of the body?
Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen (CHON)
How much of the body’s mass is made up by the four major elements?
96%
What percentage of body mass is made up by the eight lesser elements?
3.6%
What percentage of body mass is made up by the fourteen trace elements?
0.4%
What element makes up the highest percentage of body mass?
Oxygen
What percent of body mass is made up by oxygen?
65%
What percentage of body mass is made up by Carbon?
18.5%
What percentage of body mass is made up by hydrogen?
9.5%
What percentage of body mass is made up by nitrogen?
3.2%
Where is iron found in the body?
Hemoglobin and some enzymes
How does the body use magnesium?
Magnesium is used for the action of many enzymes
What is the most plentiful anion in extracellular fluid?
Chlorine
What is the most plentiful cation in extracellular fluid?
Sodium (Na)
Where is sulfur found in the body?
Sulfur is in some vitamins and many proteins
What is the most plentiful cation in intracellular fluid?
Potassium (K)
Where is phosphorus found in the body?
Phosphorus is in nucleic acids, ATP, bones, and teeth.
What is the most plentiful lesser element?
Calcium
How does the body use calcium?
Ca contributes to:
- bone/tooth hardness
- blood clotting
- the release of some hormones
- muscle contraction
- many other processes
What is the most massive element in the human body?
Iodine
What is an isotope?
An atom of an element with a different number of NEUTRONS
What is a tracer?
A radioisotope that follows the movement of certain substances through the body
What tracer is used to monitor blood flow through the heart during an exercise stress test?
Thallium-201
What radioisotope is used to detect/treat thyroid cancer?
Iodine-131
What radioisotope is used to treat advanced cervical cancer?
Cesium-137
What radioisotope is used to treat prostate cancer?
Iridium-192
What is an ion?
An atom with a positive or negative charge because it has unequal numbers of protons and electrons
What is a free radical?
An atom/group of atoms with an unpaired electron in the outer shell
- unstable
- highly reactive
- destructive to nearby molecules
How does the body receive free radicals?
- UV rays
- Exposure to X-rays
- some normal metabolic processes
- Contact with certain harmful substances
What are some diseases, disorders, and conditions linked to free radicals?
- Cancer
- Atherosclerosis
- Alzheimer’s
- Emphysema
- Diabetes mellitus
- Cataracts
- Macular degeneration
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Aging
What is a common free radical?
Superoxide (O2-)
What is an antioxidant?
A substance that inactivates oxygen-derived free radicals
-Thought to slow the pace of damage caused by free radicals
What are some important dietary antioxidants?
Selenium, zinc, beta-carotene, vitamins C and E
What foods contain high levels of antioxidants?
Red, blue, or purple fruits
What bond holds ions with opposite charges together?
An ionic bond
What is a cation?
A positively charged ion 😊
(Electrons
What is an anion?
A negatively charged ion 🙁
Electrons>protons
What is an ionic compound that breaks into positive and negative ions in a solution?
An electrolyte
What is a covalent bond?
A bond where 2+ atoms share electrons
What is a hydrogen bond?
A hydrogen atom with a partial positive charge (δ+) attracts the partial negative charge (δ-) of neighboring atoms
What is the tendency of like particles to stay together?
Cohesion
What bond contributes to the surface tension of water?
Hydrogen bonds
How many molecules of ATP can be made from one molecule of glucose?
32
