Week 4: Cellular Biology Flashcards
Element
simplest form of matter to have unique chemical properties
Atomic Number
number of protons in its nucleus
Elements arranged by atomic number
Electrolytes
mineral salts needed for nerve and muscle function
Minerals
- inorganic elements extracted from soil by plants and passed up food chain to humans; Example: Ca, P, Cl, Mg,K, etc.
- about 4% of body weight
- important for body structure ie. Ca crystals in teeth, bones, etc.
- important for body structure
Nucleus
Center of atom; made up of protons & neutrons
Protons
Single + charge; mass = 1 amu
Neutrons
No charge; mass= 1 amu
Atomic Mass
Sum of protons & neutrons; accounts for the fact that an element is a mixture of isotopes & is close to the mass of the most abundant isotope.
Eletrons
Single - charge; very little mass
Valence Electrons
orbit the most outermost shell & determine chemical bonding properties of an atom
Isotopes
varieties of an element that differ only in the number of neutrons; isotopes of an element are chemically similar because they have the same number of valence electrons
Matter
anything that occupies space and has mass
Energy
the ability to do work
96% of body is made up of these elements
4: carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen
Atoms
Building blocks of elements
Radioisotope
- heavy isotope
- tends to be unstable
- Decomposes to more stable isotope
Radioactivity
process of spontaneous atomic decay
Molecule
two or more like atoms combined chemically
Compound
two or more different atoms combined chemically
Atoms formed with
Chemical Bonds
How do atoms dissociate?
Breaking of chemical bonds
Electron Shells
-electrons occupy energy levels
-Electrons closest to the nucleus are most strongly attracted
-Each shell has distinct properties:
The number of electrons has an upper limit
Shells closest to the nucleus fill first