Molecules of Life 1 & 2 Flashcards
What is atomic number?
- Atomic number is the same number of protons.
- Every atom of an element has the same number of protons.
What is an element?
A substance that cannot be broken down to any other substance by ordinary chemical means.
Cannot reduce or transform to any other substance using general chemical methods.
What is mass compared to weight?
Weight refers to the FORCE of gravity exerted on substance.
Mass is the same regardless of force of gravity. (The amount of the substance)
Where does atomic mass come from?
The sum of protons and neutrons is the atomic mass of an atom.
What are the ions called due to gaining electrons or losing electrons in atoms?
Cation: ion with more protons than electrons = net positive charge. (loss electrons)
Anion: fewer protons electrons = net negative charge. (gained electrons)
What are isotopes?
Isotopes are atoms of the same element but with different number of neutrons.
Isotopes are unstable as the nucleus breaks apart, releases radiation as it attempts to be stable again.
What is a half-life?
Time is takes for one-half of atoms in sample to decay.
How is the arrangement of electrons important?
Important for atoms to have certain electrons because chemical behavior of an atom is based on number of electrons and arrangement of electrons in orbitals that impact how chemicals behave and biological reactions
Where are electrons most likely to be found?
Physics defines orbitals as area around electron where is most likely found.
Orbital is region around nucleus where 99% chance to find an electron.
What is a shell vs. orbital diagrams?
Shell represent energy levels or quantum levels that electrons need specific energy to be in the shell. While orbitals are the specific region where electrons are most likely to be found in the shell.
What is potential energy in electrons?
Electrons in shells have potential energy based on its position. Energy can be released if excited, to a different energy level.
Electrons farther from nucleus has more energy.
How do shells relate to energy?
Electrons can move from one energy to level to another if it takes in energy.
K→ L→ M→ N (Energy Absorbed = outward )
Electron can move from one energy level to a lower energy level released energy.
N→ M→ L→ K (Energy Released = inward)
What are transfer of electrons in chemical reactions?
Transfer of electrons is called Redox Reactions. (loss or gain)
- Oxidation: loss of an electron
- Reduction: gain of electron
- Still retain energy of position in atom.
What are valence electrons?
Valence electrons are the number of electrons in the outermost energy level.
What is the octet rule?
Atoms tend to establish completely full outer levels, preferring 8 electrons. Will gain or lose electrons to complete octet to become stable.
Atoms seek to have their outermost shell filled for stability.
What group has all 8 electrons filled on the periodic table?
Noble gases are inert (non-reactive elements) that have all eight electrons.
What are the four elements that make up 96.3% of human body weight?
Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen.
What element is most abundant in the human body?
Oxygen is most abundant in human body.
Water makes up most of oxygen (H2O), therefore making oxygen the most abundant in the human body.
What are molecules?
Molecules are groups of atoms held together in stable association.
What are compounds?
Compounds are molecules containing more than one type of element.
- ex: CO, NaCl
What is ionic bonds?
Ionic bonds are formed by attraction of oppositely charged ions therefore will transfer electrons to correct itself to obtain octet configuration.
ex: - NaCl = Chlorine has 7 electrons, therefore more likely to take one electron from sodium to obtain octet.
- Na atom loses electron becoming an ion (Na+ cation)
- Cl atom gains electron becoming an ion (Cl- anion)
- Opposite charges attract so Na+ and Cl- remain associated as ionic compound.
What is covalent bonds?
Two or more valence electrons being shared.
What is the difference in covalent bonds?
Differences in electronegativity dictate how electrons are distributed in covalent bonds.
- Non-polar covalent bonds: equal sharing of electrons
- ex: H2
- Polar covalent bonds: unequal sharing of electrons
- ex: distributed based on electronegativity
- Electrons will be drawn more towards one side of bond.
What do chemical reactions involve?
Involve the formation or breaking of chemical bonds. Bonds have to be broken for new bonds to be formed. Electrons are moved around while atoms shift from one molecule to another without losing its identity.
What are chemical reactions influence by?
- Temperature (specific temp)
- Concentration of reactants (influences rate)
- Catalysts (lack of enzymes)
What chemical property is most important about water?
Water is life. Most important chemical property of water is its ability to form hydrogen bonds.
Weak chemical associations that form between partially negative O- and partially positive H+ of atoms of two water molecules.
Oxygen is more electronegative, therefore allowing water to form more hydrogen bonds.
What is polarity?
Within water molecule, there is oxygen and hydrogen. Oxygen and hydrogen have POLAR identities because oxygen is more electronegative than hydrogen.
Oxygen attracts/draws more electrons towards itself than hydrogen creating PARTIAL ELECTRICAL CHARGES:
- Oxygen becomes partially negative
- Hydrogen becomes partially positive
Why is water cohesive?
Water is cohesive because of the hydrogen bonds.
Polarity of water allows water molecules to be attracted to one another (opposites attract)
- Hydrogen (positive), oxygen (negative) = Hydrogen attracts more oxygen atoms of other H2O molecules creating a cohesive bridge.
What is surface tension?
Bonds of water create a strong layer of tension where bugs can walk on surface of water.
What is cohesion?
Water molecules stick to other water molecules by hydrogen bonding.
What is adhesion?
Adhesion is capillary action, where water molecules stick to other polar molecules by hydrogen bonding. Hydrogen bonds can easily break and form in water molecules.
Water can be drawn through tubes, attaching to surfaces and can be pulled up because of adhesive property.
What are the properties of water?
- Water has a specific heat. (requires more energy)
- Water has a high heat of vaporization. (requires more energy) (brings condensation to cool)
- Solid water is less dense than liquid water. (Solid water is less dense than water, therefore ice forms on SURFACE of water and not below.)
Why is water a good solvent?
Due to slightly negative and slightly positive charges, can break easily. Water molecules can easily break and attach to ionic compound and break up cations and anions of ions.
How can water form its own ions?
Water can form ions on its own by dissociating. Can dissociate in H+ and OH- ions. (End product of dissociation molecules)
What is the pH of water?
The ratio of H+ and OH- determines pH as pH is the negative logarithm of H+ ion concentration of a solution
- Water has a pH of 7. [10^-7]
- Neither basic or acidic.
- Neutral
When is something acidic in pH?
Any substance that dissociates in water to increase the H+ ion.
When solute breaks apart in the solvent (water) and increases the amount of H+ ions in the solvent.
Lower on pH scale.
When is something a base in pH?
Substances that combines with H+ dissolved in water and lowers the amount of H+ ion concentration.
When solute dissolves in solvent (water) and its ions combine with OH- ions to reduce amount of H+ ion concentration.
Higher on pH scale.
What are buffers?
Resist changes in pH. Buffers used to keep constant pH, needed for chemical reactions to take place.
- Absorbs hydrogen ions when acid is added (If too acidic)
- Reduces acidic concentration
- Release hydrogen ions when base is added. (If base too high)
- Reduces base concentration or OH concentration
What does biochemistry study?
Studies biological molecules outside of cells.
What are the most important classes of biological macromolecules?
- Carbohydrates
- Lipids
- Proteins
- Nucleic Acids
What is the importance of carbon?
Carbon is the major backbone of many biological molecules. (Framework)
Carbon atoms can bond with other atoms and form up to four covalent bonds.