Biochemistry The chemical basis of life Based on organic (carbon) chemistry

Biochemistry

The chemical basis of life

Based on organic (carbon) chemistry

All living things are made of matter.

Matter: material governed by laws of inertia (resistance to change in motion)

The smallest organized unit of matter that is living is called a cell.

Atomic structure video

Click on image to play video.

Matter of the same composition is a substance.

Ex: pure sugar, pure salt, etc

Substances can change.

Living matter is made up of different substances.

Therefore life can change.

Periodic table of elements … do you need to know them all for this class?

What elements do producers need?

C HOPKNS café Managed By My Cousin Mo Cline

CHOPKNS Ca Fe Mg B Mn Cu Zn Mo Cl

Chemical reactions lead to changes in substance or matter.

Occurs when electrons are transferred between two atoms

covalent or ionic

Substance types1. Atom = electron + proton + neutron

2. Element: one atom with set number of protons(ex: nitrogen)

3. Compound: two or more atoms in fixed ratio (ex: water H2O) Q.What is in the beaker?

4. Molecule: 1 unit of a compound (ex: water H2O is 1 molecule of water) Q. How many molecules of water are in the beaker?

To maintain life the following are needed.

96% of living matter: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen

4% of living matter: calcium, potassium, phosphorus, sulfur, sodium, chlorine, magnesium, iron, trace elements

Why is carbon the basis for life?

It has 4 electrons in its outer electron shell.

Octet rule: The most stable elements have 8 electrons in its outer shell, with few exceptions.

Carbon forms 4 covalent bonds to fulfill the octet rule.

Covalent bond = two atoms sharing electrons

“Strong” Relatively stable Hydrogen, oxygen,

and nitrogen can readily form covalent bonds with carbon.

Covalent bonding video

Click on image to play video.

Ions = electrically charged matter Ions form when electrons are lost or gained. Ionic bonds form when a positive ion is attracted to a

negative ion.

Ionic bonding video

Click on image to play video.

Making polymers

When monomers (single units) transfer electrons between one another, they form dimers.

Adding more monomers form polymers.

Important polymers & complex molecules

Polysaccharides Proteins Nucleic acids Lipids

Methane Acetylene Butadiene Benzene Isooctane

Section 2-3

Figure 2-11 Carbon Compounds

Starch

Glucose

Section 2-3

Figure 2-13 A Starch

Lipids

General structure Alanine Serine

Section 2-3

Amino group Carboxyl group

Figure 2-16 Amino Acids

Aminoacids

Figure 2-17 A Protein

Nucleic acids