Biochemistry…the basics

Chemistry of Life

• Matter and Substance• Water and Solutions• Carbon Compounds• Energy and Metabolism

Atoms

•Atom: smallest unit of matter that maintains chemical properties of the element• Electron (e-): negative (-) charge, no mass•Proton: positive (+) charge, has mass•Neutron: neutral (no) charge, has mass

Elements

• Element- substance that cannot be separated or broken down into simpler substances by chemical means

• All molecules of the same element have the same number of protons (and usually electrons)• Atomic Number –number of Protons (and usually electrons)• Atomic Mass- Number of Protons and neutrons

Bonding

• Goal of Atoms: 8 electrons in outer (valence) electron shell• Covalent bond: occur between elements that are close together on

the periodic table; form molecules• Ex: H2O

• Ionic bond: occur between metals and non-metals; form compounds• Ex: NaCl

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK2fIn_U0MY

Chemistry of Life

• Matter and Substance• Water and Solutions• Carbon Compounds• Energy and Metabolism

Properties of Water

• I) floats as a solid• Keeps rivers, ponds, oceans from freezing solid

• II) Absorbs and retains heat• Keeps the temperature of large bodies of water from changing too fast• Helps us to maintain our internal temperature

• III) Water molecules stick to each other (cohesion)• IV) Stick to other polar molecules (adhesion)

Solutions

• Solutions: two or more substances are evenly dispersed• Acid: forms H+ or H3O+ in a solution;

makes it more +• Base: forms OH- in solution; makes it more

–• Buffers help prevent change in pH

Chemistry of Life

• Matter and Substance• Water and Solutions• Carbon Compounds• Energy and Metabolism

Carbohydrates

• Uses: energy, structure (chitin/cellulose), cell ID• Example: sugar, starch, fiber• Contains carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen

Lipids

• Uses: storing energy, controlling water movement• Examples: fats, waxes, steroids

Proteins

• Uses: structure, support, communication, transportation, chemical reactions• Made of amino acids• Proteins are very big and bend and fold in

specific ways• 1 ⁰ (primary): AA arrange in a specific order• 2 ⁰ (secondary): bending, twisting, coils, and

folds• 3 ⁰ (tertiary): overall shape of a chain of AA• 4 ⁰ (quarternary): overall shape that results from

combining chains

Nucleic Acids

• Uses: store and transmit genetic info, store energy• DNA: deoxyribonucleic acid; contain genetic information• RNA: ribonucleic acid; important in protein synthesis (creation)• ATP: adenine triphosphate; main energy source for cells

Chemistry of Life

• Matter and Substance• Water and Solutions• Carbon Compounds• Energy and Metabolism

Energy

• Energy: ability to move or change matter• Conservation of Mass: Matter is neither created nor destroyed (it can

only change form)• Conservation of Energy: the total amount of energy in the universe

does not change

Chemical Reactions

• CO2 + H2O - H2CO3• Reactants: beginning participants in a chemical reaction• Products: formed in a chemical reaction• Activation energy: minimum energy required to start a chemical

reaction• Alignment: atoms must be correctly aligned for a reaction to occur• ACTIVATION ENERGY and ALIGNMENT MUST be present for reaction

to occur

Biological Reactions• Enzymes: acts as a catalyst (speeds up chemical reaction)• Metabolism: enzymes are used to process food. They allow reactions

that should take a very long time to proceed much quicker

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTQybDgweiE