Lesson 1: The Chemical Basis of Life Flashcards
Anything that occupies space and has mass.
Matter
Simplest form of matter. Substance that cannot be broken down into two or more different substances.
Element
How many elements are there in the human body?
21
What are the four main building blocks that is 96% of the human body?
- Carbohydrates
- Lipids
- Proteins
- Nucleic Acids
How many essential minerals are in the human body?
8
How many trace elements are in the human body?
9
How many essential elements are there in animals and plants?
15
What are the 6 common elements present in all living things that are important for life?
CHONPS
What is carbohydrates composed of?
CHO
What is lipids composed of?
CHO
What is proteins composed of?
CHON
What is nucleic acids composed of?
CHONP
Atoms of two or more elements joined to form a chemical combination.
Compounds
What are the organic compounds in the body?
CHON
What are the inorganic compounds in the body?
Water and salts
It is the basic building blocks of matter and all organisms are composed of this.
Atoms
This is the positively charged subatomic particle.
Protons
What are the atom’s subatomic particles?
Protons, Neutrons, Electrons
This is the neutral subatomic particle.
Neutrons
This is the negatively charged subatomic particle.
Electrons
It shows the number of protons in atom’s nucleus and identifies the kind of elements.
Atomic number
It is the mass of a single atom.
Atomic mass
How to compute for the atomic mass?
Protons + Neutrons
This is the mass of all subatomic particles of an element.
Atomic weight
If a chemist is given a problem, they need the ___ the most to solve the problem.
Atomic number
The energy levels is equal to the ___.
electron shells
The total number of electrons is equal to the total number of ___ in a stable atom.
protons
The electron forms a ___ around the nucleus.
cloud
They have the same number of protons but different number of neutrons. They also have the same atomic number and properties but different atomic mass.
Isotopes
It is considered as a molecule because it has molecular compounds. It is also a compound because it has two atoms formed by two different elements.
Water
All compounds are ___ but not all molecules are compounds.
molecules
What are the three types of bonds?
- Ionic Bond
- Covalent Bond
- Hydrogen Bond
Transfer of electrons. Strong electrostatic force that binds positive and negative charged ions.
Ionic Bond
Sharing of electron pairs between atoms.
Covalent Bond
This type of bond is much weaker than ionic or covalent bond. It results from the unequal charge distribution on molecules.
Hydrogen Bond
It is displayed in an equation. Reactants are on the left and products are on the right.
Chemical Reaction
In a chemical equation, equations must be ___ with the same number of atoms on both sides.
balanced
It is the source of energy for use and storage at the cellular level and provides energy to the cells.
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
It is the combining of two or more substances; formation of new chemical bonds. (EX. A + B = AB)
Synthesis Reaction
What are the 3 chemical reactions in human or animal physiology?
- Synthesis Reaction
- Decomposition Reaction
- Exchange Reaction
It is the breaking down of a substance to a two or more simpler substances.
(EX. AB= A + B)
Decomposition Reaction
This is all the chemical reactions that occur in the body cells.
Metabolism
It is the decomposition of two substances and in exchange, a synthesis of two new compounds. (EX. AB + CD = AD+CB)
Exchange Reaction
Breaking down of complex compounds into simpler ones and releases energy. (EX. hydrolysis, glycolysis)
Catabolism
___ molecules contains carbon, specifically a C-C or C-H bond.
Organic
Building up or joining of simple molecules to form more complex molecules
Anabolism
___ molecules only handful have carbon atoms and none contains C-C or C-H bonds.
Inorganic
It’s the body’s most abundant and important compound.
Water
What are the properties of water?
- Polarity
- The solvent allows transportation of essential minerals throughout the body
- High specific heat
- High heat of vaporization
Allows water to act as an effective solvent, ionizes substances in solution and leads to hydrogen bodning.
Polarity
It makes the water more cohesive.
Hydrogen bonds
Ability of same particles/matters/substances to stick to one another.
Cohesion
Ability of different particles/matters/substances to stick to one another.
Adhesion
Created by the cohesiveness of water and minimizes surface area, allowing some insects to move on water.
Surface tension
Water can gain and lose large amounts of heat with little change in its own temperature; enables body to maintain a relatively constant temperature.
High specific heat
Water requires absorption of significant amounts of heat to change from water from a liquid to a gas, allowing the body to dissipate excess heat.
High heat of vaporization
They are closely related to cellular respiration.
Oxygen and carbon dioxide
It’s required to complete decomposition reactions necessary for the release of energy in the body. It’s also the byproduct of plants and used by animals and humans for cellular respiration.
Oxygen
It’s produced as a waste product, also helps maintain the appropriate acid-base balance in the body. Utilized by plants for photosynthesis.
Carbon dioxide
Large group of inorganic compounds, which includes acids, bases, and salts. Substances that disassociate in solution to form ions. They are also substances that can conduct electric current when dissolved into water.
Electrolytes
They are mostly dissolved in water. (EX. K. Mg, PO4, SO4, Na, Cl, and bicarbonates)
Ions
Positively charged ions are ___.
Cations
Negatively charged ions are ___.
Anions
A common and important chemical substances that are chemical opposites.
Acids and bases
Any substance that releases and hydogen ion (H+) when in a solution, “proton donor,” Ph level is less than 7.
Acids
The level of ___ of acids depends on the number of hydrogen ions it will release.
acidity
What are the 4 major organic compounds (macromecules) that are important to humans and animals?
Carbohydrates, Proteins, Lipids, and Nucleic Acids
Electrolytes that disassociate to yield hydroxide ions (OH-) or other electrolytes that combine with hydrogen ions. Described as “proton acceptors.”
Bases
What are the 3 main carbohydrates?
- Monosaccharides
- Disaccharides
- Polysaccharides
Simple sugars with short carbon chains
Monosaccharides
Those with six carbons are ___. An example is glucose.
hexoses
Those with five carbons are ___. An example is ribose and deoxyribose.
pentose
Two simple sugars that are bonded together through a synthesis reaction (dehydration synthesis).
Disaccharides
More than two sugars that are bonded together through a synthesis reaction (dehydration synthesis). It has 100+ sugars or glycolic bonding.
Polysaccharides
It has 3-15 sugars or glycolic bonding.
Oligosaccharides
It is the stored sugar in the liver. It’s broken down into glucose during hunger or starvation for energy and ATP.
Glycogen
Most abundant organic compounds and major workers of the body and has chainlike polymers.
Proteins
Amino acids are categorized to ___ and ___.
essential, non-essential
What is the monomers or building blocks of proteins?
Amino acids
Enumarate all non-essential amino acids.
How many amino acids are non-essential and can be produced by the human body?
11
- Alanine
- Arginine
- Asparagine
- Cysteine
- Glutamine
- Glycine
- Proline
- Serine
- Tyrosine
- Aspartic acid
- Glutamic acid
Enumarate all essential amino acids.
How many amino acids are essential and cannot be produced by the human body?
9
- Histidine
- Isoleucine
- Leucine
- Lysine
- Methionine
- Phenylalanine
- Threonine
- Tryptophan
- Valine
Water insoluble organic molecules that are critically important biological molecules. They are harder to burn than acids.
Lipids
The structure of ___ is a C atom, amino group, an H atom, and a side chain.
amino acid
The major roles of ___ are source of energy, structural role, and integral parts of cell membrane.
lipids
The building blocks of ___ are glycerol (the same for each molecule) and 3 fatty acids (different for each fat and they determine its chemical nature).
trigylcerides
The most abundant lipids and most concentrated source of energy.
Triglycerides or fats
This is the bending and helps in categorizing saturated and unsaturated fatty acids caused by double bonds. It also contributes to the semi-permeability of the cell.
Kinks
What are the types of fatty acids?
Saturated and unsaturated
A type of fatty acid where all available bonds are filled and is solid at room temperature.
Saturated
A type of fatty acid where it has one or more double bonds and is liquid at room temperature. It is better than saturated acid because it has kinks that contribute to the semi-permeability of the cell.
Unsaturated
Fat compounds similar to triglyceride. Its one end is water soluble (hydrophilic) and the other is fat-soluble (hydrophobic). They also form double layers called bilayers that make up cell membranes.
Phospholipids
Its main component is steroid nucleus.
Steroids
This lipid is involved in many structural and functional roles. They are usually materials that are insoluble and don’t resemble lipids because they have fused rings.
Steroids
This is the most common steroid. It is precursor to hormones like testosterone, progesterone, estrogen, etc.
Cholesterol
What are the two types of nucleic acid?
DNA and RNA
What are the monomers or building blocks of nucleic acids?
Nucleotides
A nucleic acid that is double-helix and its pentose sugar is deoxyribose.
Deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA)
A nucleic acid that is single-helix and its pentose sugar is ribose.
Ribonucleic acid (RNA)
What are the nitrogenous bases of DNA?
Adenine (A), Thymine (T), Cytosine (C), Guanine (G)
What are the nitrogenous bases of RNA?
Adenine (A), Uracil (U), Cytosine (C), Guanine (G)
Some ___ molecules are temporary copies of segments (genes) of the DNA code and are involved in synthesizing proteins. They are also regulatory, acting as enzymes (ribosomes) or silencing gene expression (RNA interference).
RNA
