Chemistry Of Life Flashcards
Elements
-The simplest form of matter
- cannot be broken down into other substances
CHNOPS (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfer)
Six elements that makes up the majority of the body
Hydrogen (H)
Percent of human body: 9.5
Significant in Body: found in nearly every compound in the body
Carbon (C)
Percent of human body:18.5
Significant in Body: backbone of all organic molecules
- is the central element because it can form 4 bonds (more than most elements)
Nitrogen (N)
Percent of human body:3.2
Significant in Body: part of proteins and nucleic acids
Oxygen (O)
Percent of human body: 6.5
Significant in Body: part of water, needed for cellular respiration
Sulfer (S)
Percent of human body: 0.3
Significant in Body: part of some proteins
Phosphorus (P)
Percent of human body: 1.0
Significant in Body: bone teeth and nucleic acids
Iodine (I)
Trace element deficiency
- thyroid gland cannot produce hormones and enlarges.
Iron (Fe)
Trace element deficiencies
- blood cannot produce enough red blood cells, causing anemia
Calcium (Ca)
Trace element deficiencies
- bone density decreases over Time, causing osteoporosis
Atoms
Smallest components of elements, and are made up of three parts: protons, neutrons and electrons
Protons
Have a positive charge, determines the identity of the atom and is in the nucleus
Neutrons
Have no charge and is in the nucleus. + protons = the mass of the atom
Electrons
Negatively charged, orbits around the nucleus and determines the chemical bonds the atom will form with other atoms
Electron shells
- Used in chemistry
- shows electrons and how they interact during chemical bonding
- helps understanding valence electrons
- the model is inaccurate because electrons are always moving and are always in empty spaces
Space fillings
- used in biology class
- shows molecular shapes and interactions between molecules
- electrons are drawn as a cloud to show rapid movement.
- i wish i can insert a pic here lol
Neutral atoms
- Has equal number of protons and electrons
- positive and negative charges cancels out
Ex- fluorine (F), 9 protons, 9 electrons, no net change
Ions
Atoms that have gained or lost and electrons, becoming charged
- (+) positively charged- lost an electron
- (-) negatively charged- gained an electron
Ex- Florine ion (F-), 9 protons, 10 electrons and -1 net charge
Electrolytes
Ions found in body cells or fluids called electrolytes
Electrolytes- sodium (Na+)
Found in tears, blood, and sweat
Electrolytes- POTASSIUM (K+)
Found in nerves, and blood
Electrolytes- CALCIUM (Ca^2+)
Found in blood, muscle and bones
Electrolytes- CHLORIDE (Cl-)
Found in blood and stomach acid
Compounds
- single molecule made of two or more elements
Ex- water (h20) and carbon dioxide (CO2)
Mixtures
- Compounds and elements in the same place but not chemically combined
Ex- urine, tears, air
Chemical bonding
- a force of attraction between two atoms based on the sharing or transfer of electrons
Ionic
Attraction between oppositely-charged ions formed when electrons are transferred.
Ex- NaCl (table salt)
Covalent
Formed by two or more atoms sharing electrons.
- Ex: H2 (hydrogen gas)
Single bond
H
I
H—C—H
I
H
- One paired of shared electrons
Double bond
Two pairs of electrons being shared
H H
\ /
C=C
/. \
H. H
Triple bond
Three pairs of electrons are shared
_
H-C = C-H
- those are three lines
Water
- 60% of the human body and essential to all life
- is a polar molecule (has both positive and negative ends)
- forms hydrogen bonds with each other (negative ends attracts positive ends)
- has high heat capacity( large amount of heat is needed to rais the temperature)
- a universal solvent because it can dissolve any ionic and polar covalent compound.
Cohesion
Attraction of water molecules to each other, resulting in the formation of droplets and surface tension.
Adhesion
The attraction of water molecules to a surface
Solute (antacid)
A substance that gets dissolved
Solvent
The liquid that dissolves the solute
Solution
The result mixture of the solvent and the solute
Acid
- Releases hydrogen ions (H+) in water
- has pH less than 7
Base
-Release hydroxide ions (OH-) in water
- have a pH greater than 7
Neutral solutions
Releases equal amounts of both ions (acids and bases)
Buffer systems
Mixture of chemicals that can maintain a certain pH by either absorbing or releasing H+ ions.
Ex
- bicarbonate (HCO^3-) is te buffer used for blood
- H+ ions are removed to increase breathing rates, raising pH
- H+ ions are generated by releasing bicarbonate
(HCO^3-) in urine, lowering pH.
Organic chemistry
Structure and properties of the essential molecules of living organisms
Organic compounds
- larger and mostly made of carbon-hydrogen covalent bonds.
Polymers
- most of organic compounds
- made of repeating units
]
Monomers
Individual units
Nucleic acids
- compounds used to store instructions within cells.
Ex- DNA, RNA, ATP
Monomer- nucleotides (molecules containing a phosphate (PO4), 5- carbon sugar, and a nitrogenous base
Carbohydrates
- made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
Ex- starch
Monomers- glucose (monosaccharides)
Proteins
are polymers made of amino acids with a wide variety of functions and structures.
There are 20 different amino acids that can be combined to form nearly an infinite number of proteins and peptides.
Ex- insulin
Monomer- Amino acids
Lipids
Ex- fats, steroids
Monomer- none. They’re technically not a polymer
- molecules mostly composed with carbon and hydrogen
- they’d hydrophobic (can’t dissolve in water)
DNA
- contains all of the organism genetic informations in the nucleus
- Deoxyribose (a sugar) and phosphate form the spiraling double helix “backbone” of the molecule.
- Nitrogenous bases form the “rungs” of the molecule.
RNA
- similar to DNA but its found in the outside of the nucleus
Differences with DNA- single stranded helix, uracil used as a nucleotide in place of thymine, ribose is in place of the deoxyribose as the sugar
ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and ADP (adenosine diphosphate + phosphate)
ATP- A nucleotide to transfer energy within cells.
Broken down to ADP when energy is needed
Analogy ig
- my phone is fully charged (ATP) but as time goes by, my battery decreases (ADP)
Monosaccharides
- carbohydrates with one sugar monomer
EX - glucose (blood sugar)
Function- short term energy storage
Disaccharide
Carbohydrates with two sugar monomers
Ex-
- sucrose, lactose
Function- energy storage
Polysaccharides
Carbohydrates with three or more monosaccharides
Starch: Energy storage in plants
Cellulose: Cell walls in plants
Glycogen: Energy storage in animals
Chitin: Exoskeleton of insects
Saturated fatty acids
-long chains of atoms with single bonds only
- solid at room temperature
Unsaturated fatty acids
- long chains of carbo atoms with single and double bonds
- liquid at room temperature
Triglycerides
Lipids made of Glycerol, a 3-carbon molecule
- three fatty acids
- primary components of body fat
- can accumulate in arteries
Phospholipids
made of two fatty acids and a phosphate (PO4).
The phosphate “head” is polar (charged) and hydrophilic (water loving).
The fatty acids “tails” are nonpolar (no charge) and hydrophobic (water repelling).
spontaneously arrange themselves as liposomes, micelles, or bilayer sheets to keep the hydrophobic tails away from water.
Steroids
lipids with four interconnected carbon rings.
Examples: Cholesterol, testosterone, cortisol, estrogen.
Amino acids
The sequence of amino acids determines the shape of a protein, which then determines its function.
Ex-
Keratin-
Long, fibrous shape. Protective function in skin and fingernails.
Hemoglobin-
Globular shape. Holds oxygen in red blood cells
Denaturation
is a change in the shape of a protein that causes it to lose its normal function.
Normal Protein- Correct shape and structure
Biologically active
I_
I
Denaturation
Caused by heat or exposure to acids
I_
I
Denatured Protein
Altered shape and structure, Biologically inactive
,Usually irreversible
Enzymes
- are proteins that catalyze or speed up the rate of a chemical reaction in the body.
Substrate
Molecule the enzyme works on. Hydrogen peroxide
(H2O2)
Product
Molecules that result from the catalyzed reaction.
Oxygen (O2) and water (H2O)
- According to the lock-and-key theory, each enzyme will only be active against the substrate that fits its shape.
Denatured enzymes will be inactive.
