The Chemistry of Life Flashcards
Everything is composed of
Matter and energy
Matter
takes up space
atoms
smallest level
protons
positive charge, heavy, and center of the atom
neutrons
no charge, heavy, and center of the atom
electrons
negative charge, light and orbit in shells
atoms are made up of
protons, neutrons, and electrons
atoms are
particles of elements - pure substance that cannot be broken down, building blocks of all substances
how many elements total?
118
the 6 elements that make up 97-99% of the human body
C carbon H hydrogen O oxygen N nitrogen P phosphorus S sulfur
What is the atomic number
the number of protons
the order of the element on the periodic table
Atomic number, element, symbol, atomic mass, and mass number
atomic mass
average mass of all isotopes - different forms of the same element
what makes up the mass number?
the number of protons plus the number of neutrons
molecule
chemical interactions between atoms
compound
interactions between different elements
All ___ are ____ but not all ___ are ___.
All compounds are molecules but not all molecules are compounds
which element is particularly both a compound and a molecule?
water - H2O
How many electrons per orbital
2
Orbital
location of electron relative to the nucleus - exist in energy shells (rings)
First shell (1 orbital)
2 electrons
Second shell + 4 orbitals equals
8 electrons
oxygen has how many electrons?
2 in the first shell and 4 in the second, which leaves 2 spaces/voids and results in bonding
chemical bonds
an atom is stable when its ‘vacancies’ are filled; to fill these voids, atoms, share, steal or donate electrons; they form chemical bonds to hold atoms together
what are the three types of chemical bonds
covalent, ionic, and hydrogen
covalent bond
share electrons and strong bond
non-polar covalent
equal sharing of electrons
polar covalent
one atom ‘hogs’ electrons; no net charge but parts of molecule have a charge; head is positive and ears are negative
Ion
atom that has lost or gained electrons; has a net positive or negative charge
ionic bond
one atom donates electrons to another; opposites attract; strong (breaks easily in water); salt
hydrogen bonds
opposite partial charges attract; adjacent molecules or within larger molecules; weak bond; water!
chemical reactions
two or more molecules exchange atoms to make different molecules; bonds break and are re-formed; reactants and products
Water properties
water is cohesive; universal solvent; regulates temperature; expands; and chemical reactions
water is cohesive
water molecules stick together due to hydrogen bonding and create surface tension
solvent
chemical in which other substances dissolve
solute
dissolved substances
solution
solute(s) disolved in solvent
water regulates temperature
water resists heat and holds heat and stabilize temperatures in Earth and our bodies
Water expands in what 3 different forms?
liquid, solid and gas
water creates chemical reactions
almost all of life’s chemical reactions take place in the watery solution that fills and surrounds cells
hydrophilic substance:
water loving; polar (charged); readily dissolve in water (water is polar)
hydrophobic substance
water fearing; non-polar; do not dissolve in water
pH system
Used to measure how acidic or basic a solution is
Acid
adds H+; pH 0.0-7.0
Neutral
pH of 7.0
Alkaline or Base
adds OH-; pH 7.0-14.0
buffers
resist pH change
Organic molecules
compounds that contain carbon – Hydrogen bonds (C-H)
is CO2 organic
no
what are the four main types of organic molecules
Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins, and Nucleic Acids
Carbohydrates
both simple and complex sugars
simple sugars
mono and disaccharides; quick energy; sucrose and maltose
complex sugars
polymers of monosaccharides; store energy and structural support; and starch and cellulose
Lipids
Hydrophobic, non-polar, and do not dissolve in water
what are the three types of lipids
Triglycerides, Sterols, and Phospholipids
Triglycerides
Carboxyl heads and fatty acid tails
the two types of Triglycerides
Saturated fat and Unsaturated fat
Saturated Fat
Fatty acid tails are saturated with H (hydrogen); straight tails; solid at room temperature (butter)
Unsaturated fat
Fatty acid tails are not saturated with H; bent or kinked tails; liquid at room temperature (vegetable oil)
Trans Fats
addition of H to unsaturated fats to make them solid at room temperature
Sterols
Ring structures; cholesterol, testosterone, and estrogen
Phospholipids
Make up cell membranes; phospholipid heads; fatty acid tails
function of lipids
energy storage, protective, structural, and regulatory
Proteins building blocks
Amino Acids (AA)
How many total AA
20
Primary structure of Amino Acids
long chains called polypeptides
Polypeptides become proteins after folding
secondary structure, tertiary structure and quaternary structure
Protein function
structural (collagen); contractile (muscle proteins); transport (Channel proteins); storage (egg protein); and enzyme (digestive
which outside factors is protein vulnerable to
Heat, pH, salt; proteins denature – structure/shape is changed, function is destroyed; genetic mutations are also a possibility
proteins: prions
infectious protein; mad-cow disease, chronic wasting disease; miss-folded protein (protein makes pleated sheets instead of helixes) (holes in brain tissue)
what are nucleic acids made up of
nucleotides
What are nucleotides
5 carbon sugar (ribose or deoxyribose); phosphate; nitrogenous base
nitrogenous base
Adenine (A), guanine (G), thymine (T), cytosine (C), and uracil (U)
What are the 3 types of nucleic acids
DNA, RNA, and ATP
DNA
deoxyribonucleic acid - stores genetic material; double helix (spiral staircase) - double stranded; hydrogen bonds hold each strand of nucleotides
nucleotide pairs
A with T and C with G
RNA
ribonucleic acid - protein production; single stranded; hydrogen bonds hold each strand of nucleotides
nucleotide pairs
A with U and C with G
ATP
Adenosine triphosphate - modified RNA nucleotide; energy and storage
Function of nucleic acids
store genetic material (DNA); make proteins (RNA); and energy storage (ATP)
