Chemistry of Life: By: Ruth Abigail C. Valdez

CHEMISTRY
OF LIFE
BY: RUTH ABIGAIL C. VALDEZ
OBJECTIVES
• To understand the
characteristics of life, what
living matter is, how it is
organized and what it can
do.
1. STRUCTURE OF MATTER
Matter- Anything that has mass and occupies space
3 States of Matter
a. Solid- Ex. bones and teeth are compact and
have a definite shape and volume.
b. Liquid- Ex. blood plasma, have a definite
volume and assume the shape of their
container.
c. Gas- Ex. oxygen and carbon dioxide, have
neither a definite shape nor volume.
CHARACTERISTICS OF MATTER
• Chemical Elements - building blocks of
both living and non- living matters.
• Each element is designated by a
chemical symbol, one or two letters of
the element’s name in English, Latin, or
another language.
CHEMICAL ELEMENTS
IN THE BODY
• 26 elements are present in the body
• 4 elements, constitute of 96% are of the body’s mass:
• Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen and Nitrogen.
• 8 Lesser Elements contribute 3.8% to the body’s mass:
• calcium, phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulfur (S),
sodium, chlorine (Cl), magnesium (Mg), and iron (Fe)
• 14 trace elements are present in tiny amounts which
accounts 0.4% (Tortora 14th Ed.) of the body’s mass. Ex.
Iodine
CHARACTERISTIC OF
ELEMENTS
• Compound- two or more elements are joined
to form chemical combinations ex. H20.
• Element is made up of atoms- the smallest
units of matter that retain the properties and
characteristics of the element.
• 3 types of subatomic particles
• a. protons- positively charged
• b. neutrons - uncharged (neutral) ; Isotopes
• c. electrons- negatively charged
CHARACTERISTICS OF
ISOTOPES
• Isotopes are atoms of an element that have
different numbers of neutrons and therefore
different mass numbers.
• Most isotopes are stable, which means that their
nuclear structure does not change over time.
• Certain isotopes called radioactive isotopes
are unstable; their nuclei decay (spontaneously
change) into a stable configuration.
EFFECTS OF RADIOACTIVE
ISOTOPES
NON-BENEFICIAL BENEFICIAL
Use in medical imaging

The radiations can
procedures to diagnose and
break apart molecules, treat certain disorders.
posing a serious threat Some radioisotopes can be
to the human body by used as tracers to follow the
producing tissue movement of certain
damage and/or causing substances through the
various types of cancer. body. Ex. Angiogram,
urogram, radionuclide
scanning
2. CHEMICAL BONDS
Chemical bond- The forces that hold together the
atoms of a molecule or a compound are chemical
bonds.
a. ionic bond- the force of attraction that holds
together ions with opposite charges.
>An ion is an atom that has a positive or negative
charge because it has unequal numbers of protons
and electrons. Ionization is the process of giving up or
gaining electrons.
B. Covalent bond forms, two or more atoms share
electrons rather than gaining or losing them. Atoms
form a covalently bonded molecule by sharing one,
two, or three pairs of valence electrons.
B. A hydrogen bond forms when a hydrogen atom

with a partial positive charge attracts the partial
negative charge of neighboring electronegative atoms,
most often larger oxygen or nitrogen atoms.
CHEMICAL BOND
Ionic bond Covalent Bond Hydrogen Bond
> holds ions with  two or more atoms >hydrogen atom with a
opposite charges share electrons partial positive charge
rather than gaining attracts the partial
Ex. Salt or NaCl or losing them. negative charge atoms
Na (+)  Ex. Oxygen or O2  Ex. Water or H2O

Cl (-)
 Oxygen + Oxygen
 Hydrogen +Oxygen
HYDROGEN BOND
CHEMICAL REACTION
A chemical reaction occurs when new bonds
form or old bonds break between atoms.
Chemical reactions are the foundation of all life
processes.
Metabolism refers to all the chemical

reactions occurring in the body.
SUMMARY
INORGANIC COMPOUNDS
AND SOLUTIONS
ORGANIC COMPOUND INORGANIC COMPOUND
-always contain carbon -lack carbon

-contain hydrogen -simple structures
-always have covalent -have only a few atoms
bonds
-cannot be used by cells to
-made up of long carbon perform complicated
atom chains biological functions
-make up the remaining -Water makes up 55–60%
38–43% of the human total body’s mass
body
Ex. Water, salts, acids,
bases
CHARACTERISTICS
OF WATER
• is the most important and abundant inorganic
compound in all living systems
• Nearly all body’s chemical reactions occur in a
watery medium.
• Water makes up 55–60% total body’s mass
• Its polarity makes water an excellent solvent for
other ionic or polar substances, gives water
molecules cohesion (the tendency to stick together),
and allows water to resist temperature changes.
FUNCTIONS OF
WATER
1. SOLVENT- water can dissolve so many different
substances, it is an ideal medium for metabolic
reactions. Water enables dissolved reactants to
collide and form products. Water also dissolves
waste products, which allows them to be flushed
out of the body in the urine.
**In a solution, a substance called the solvent
dissolves another substance called the solute.
Usually there is more solvent than solute in a solution.
2. WATER in CHEMICAL REACTION
Water serves as the medium for most chemical
reactions in the body and participates as a reactant or
product in certain reactions. Ex. Hydrolysis -
decomposition reactions break down large nutrient
molecules into smaller molecules by the addition of
water molecules.
3. LUBRICANT- Water is a major component of mucus

and other lubricating fluids throughout the body.
(serous membranes).
3 COMMON LIQUID MIXTURES
A mixture is a combination of elements or compounds that
are physically blended together but not bound by chemical
bonds.
1. SOLUTION- mixture of solvent and solute. Because
solute particles in a solution are very small, a solution
looks transparent. Ex. Dextrose or Intravenous Fluid
2. COLLOID- The solute particles in a colloid are large

enough to scatter light. Colloids usually appear translucent
(semi-transparent) or opaque (not transparent).
Ex. Milk- large milk proteins make it a colloid

** CONCENTRATION
The concentration of a solution may be expressed in

several ways. One common way is by a (1) mass per
volume percentage, which gives the relative mass of a
solute found in a given volume of solution. (2) moles per
liter (mol/L)
Ex. Alcohol
Ex. 5% dextrose in LR
2. SUSPENSION
The suspended material may mix with the liquid or
suspending medium for some time, but eventually it will
settle out.
Ex. Blood is an example of a suspension. When freshly

drawn from the body, blood has an even, reddish color.
After blood sits for a while in a test tube, red blood cells
settle out of the suspension and drift to the bottom of
the tube.
INORGANIC ACIDS,
BASES, AND SALTS
An acid is a substance that dissociates into one or more
hydrogen ions (H+)and one or more anions. Because H is
a single proton with one positive charge, an acid is also
referred to as a proton donor.
A base removes H from a solution and is therefore a

proton acceptor. Many bases dissociate into one or
more hydroxide ions (OH-).
In chemistry, a salt is a solid chemical compound

consisting of an assembly of cations and anions.
ACID–BASE BALANCE:
THE CONCEPT OF PH
"pH" stands for the Latin terms pondus hydrogenii
(quantity of hydrogen) or potentia hydrogenii
(power of hydrogen).
The more hydrogen ions (H+) dissolved in a

solution, the more acidic the solution; the more
hydroxide ions (OH-), the more basic (alkaline)
the solution.
A solution’s acidity or alkalinity is expressed on
the pH scale which extends from 0 to 14.
MAINTAINING PH:
BUFFER SYSTEMS
Buffer systems’ function is to convert strong acids or
bases into weak acids or bases. They can change pH
drastically, which can disrupt the body’s metabolism.
Weak acids (or bases) do not ionize as much and
contribute fewer H (or OH).
Blood pH
Homeostatic mechanisms maintain the pH of blood
between 7.35 and 7.45, which is slightly more basic
than pure water.
Gastric Acid- plays a key role in digestion of proteins, by
activating digestive enzymes
Vaginal fluid- (acidic) prevent infection
Saliva pH- prevents minerals in the dental hard tissues from

dissolving.
Semen pH (basic)- protect DNA inside the sperm from acidic
denaturation.
ACIDOSIS &
ALKALOSIS
Blood pH
If the pH of blood falls below 7.35, a condition called

acidosis occurs, and if the pH rises above 7.45, it
results in a condition called alkalosis;
Metabolic acidosis is a condition that occurs when the
body has excessive amounts of acid. (kidney failures (H)
are not excreted).
Metabolic alkalosis Metabolic alkalosis is a metabolic

condition in which the pH of tissue is elevated beyond the
normal range (7.35–7.45).This is the result of decreased
hydrogen ion concentration. (Electrolytes imbalance like K)
Respiratory acidosis is a condition that occurs when
the lungs can't remove enough of the carbon dioxide
(CO2) produced by the body. (COPD)
Respiratory alkalosis is a medical condition in which

increased respiration elevates the blood pH beyond
the normal range (7.35–7.45) with a concurrent
reduction in arterial levels of carbon dioxide. (Stress,
hyperventilation)
ORGANIC
COMPOUNDS
- compounds that contain carbon
- 4 major organic substance in the body
1. Carbohydrates
2. Lipids
3. Protein (CHON)
4. Nucleic Acids
1. CARBOHYDRATES
(CHO)
1. Carbohydrates (CHO)
- contain elements Carbon, Oxygen, Oxygen
-Carbohydrates include the substance sugars and starches and
represent the primary source of chemical energy
-CHO serve a structural role as components of molecules as RNA
and DNA
-Involved in cell reproduction and protein synthesis.
3 TYPES OF
CARBOHYDRATES (CHO)
a. Monosaccharides (simple sugars)
ex. glucose, fructose and galactose
b. Disaaccharides (double sugars)

c. Polysaccharides (complex sugars)
ex. sucrose (table sugar)
2. LIPIDS
• Lipids are water-insoluble organic biomolecules
• Most of these compounds have an oil-like consistency and
greasy feel
• Triglycerides or Fats- most abundant lipids and they function
as the body's most concentrated source of energy.
• Building blocks: Glycerol and fatty acids
• Types of Fatty acids:
• Saturated- all available bonds of its hydrocarbon are filled
(vegetable oil)
• Unsaturated- has one or more double bonds in its hydrocarbon
(animal fats)
3. PROTEIN (CHON)
• characterized by the presence of Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen,
Nitrogen
-the most abundant of the carbon- containing compounds
• 2 categories of protein:
a. Structural- form the structure of the cells, tissues and organs
b. Functional- allows to fit with certain other chemicals and cause
change in the molecules.
Ex. Enzymes- brings molecules together or split them apart in
chemical reactions.
Amino acids- the chemical unit or building blocks of protein

4. NUCLEIC ACIDS
-are huge organic molecules that contain carbon, hydrogen,
oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorus
2 Types:
a. DNA (deoxyribunucleic acid) forms the inherited genetic material
inside each human cell. Our genes determine the traits we inherit,
and by controlling protein synthesis they regulate most of the
activities that take place in body cells throughout our lives.
b. RNA Ribonucleic acid- the second type of nucleic acid, relays

instructions from the genes to guide each cell’s synthesis of
proteins from amino acids.

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CHEMISTRY

Matter- Anything that has mass and occupies space

Use in medical imaging

B. A hydrogen bond forms when a hydrogen atom

Na (+)  Ex. Oxygen or O2  Ex. Water or H2O

Metabolism refers to all the chemical

-always contain carbon -lack carbon

3. LUBRICANT- Water is a major component of mucus

2. COLLOID- The solute particles in a colloid are large

Ex. Milk- large milk proteins make it a colloid

The concentration of a solution may be expressed in

Ex. Blood is an example of a suspension. When freshly

A base removes H from a solution and is therefore a

In chemistry, a salt is a solid chemical compound

The more hydrogen ions (H+) dissolved in a

Vaginal fluid- (acidic) prevent infection

Saliva pH- prevents minerals in the dental hard tissues from

If the pH of blood falls below 7.35, a condition called

Metabolic alkalosis Metabolic alkalosis is a metabolic

Respiratory alkalosis is a medical condition in which

- 4 major organic substance in the body

b. Disaaccharides (double sugars)

Amino acids- the chemical unit or building blocks of protein

b. RNA Ribonucleic acid- the second type of nucleic acid, relays

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