BIO - 103 - L2 - Fall, 2018

Chemistry of Life
1
Why should we study
chemistry in
2
Life depends on chemistry!
 When you eat food or inhale oxygen,
your body uses these materials in
chemical reactions that keep you
alive.
 Just as buildings are made from

bricks, steel, glass, and wood, living
things are made from chemical
compounds.
3
Hierarchy of Organization of Life
Life is Organized on Several Levels.
Working from smallest to largest:
 Atoms : the simplest particle of an element
 Molecules : a chemical structure consisting of
atoms
 Organelle : a structural component of a cell
 Cell : life’s fundamental unit of structure
and function
 Tissue : a group of similar cells
 Organ : specialized body parts made up of
tissues
 Organ system: several organs performing same
function
 Organism : an individual living thing
4
Hierarchical organization of life
 Population: all individuals of a species in a particular
area
 Community : all organisms in an ecosystem
 Ecosystem : all living and nonliving things in a particular
area
 Biosphere : all environments on Earth
5
The biosphere
Organelles
Ecosystems Cell Molecules
Atoms
Tissues
Communities Organism
Organs and organ systems

Populations
Example: Earth → Deciduous Forest → Living Things in Forest → All Maple

Trees → Individual Maple Tree → Leaves → Leaf Surface → Leaf Cell →
Chloroplast → Chlorophyll → Phosphorous
6
7
8
CHEMISTRY
Composition of Matter
 Matter - Everything in universe
is composed of matter
 Matter is anything that
occupies space or has mass
 Mass – quantity of matter
an object has
 Weight – pull of gravity
on an object
Elements
 Pure substances that cannot be broken down
chemically into simpler kinds of matter
 consists only of atoms with the same number of
protons
 More than 100 elements (92 naturally occurring)
Four most common chemicals in living
organisms
 90% of the mass of an organism is
composed of 4 elements (oxygen, carbon,
hydrogen and nitrogen)
 Each element unique chemical symbol
 Consists of 1-2 letters
 First letter is always capitalized
Atoms
 The simplest particle of an element that retains

all the properties of that element
 Properties of atoms determine the structure and
properties of the matter they compose
 Building block of matter.
 (e-). Consist of smaller subatomic particles:
 positively charged protons (p+)
 uncharged neutrons and
 negatively charged electrons
The Nucleus
 Central core, consisting of positive

charged protons and neutral neutrons
 Positively charged
 Contains most of the mass of the atom
Mass number = Total number of protons and neutrons

in the nucleus of an element's
atoms.
The Protons
 Positively charged subatomic particle that occurs in
the nucleus of all atoms.
 All atoms of a given element have the same number
of protons
 Number of protons called the atomic number
 Number of protons balanced by an equal number of
negatively charged electrons
The Neutrons
 Uncharged subatomic particle in the atomic nucleus.
 The number varies slightly among atoms of the same
element
 Different number of neutrons produces isotopes of
the same element
The Electrons
 Negatively charged high energy particles with
little or no mass
 Travel at very high speeds at various distances
(energy levels) from the nucleus
 Electrons in the same energy level are approximately
the same distance from the nucleus
 Outer energy levels have more energy than inner
levels
 Each level holds only a certain number of electrons
Why Electrons Matters IONS
Atoms with vacancies tend to interact with other atoms: They give up, acquire, or
share electrons until they have no vacancies in their outermost shell. Any atom
is in its most stable state when it has no vacancies.
From Atoms to Molecules
 A molecule is a group of atoms that are bound tightly together
by chemical bonds
 Compound = combination of two or more different elements
(e.g. H2O)
 Molecules are held together by chemical bonds
 Chemical Bond: A molecule is a particle composed of two or
more atoms. The force that holds the atoms together in a
molecule is called a chemical bond.
 ionic bonds
 covalent bonds
 Molecules that consist of two or more different elements are
called compounds
Chemical Bonds
 Covalent
 Ionic
 Hydrogen
Chemical bonds involve atoms sharing, donating or accepting electrons

Ionic Bonds
A bond that is formed by the transfer of electrons is called an ionic bond.

Covalent Bonding
Sharing of pairs of electrons is called covalent bonding.

Two Types of Covalent Bonds
 Nonpolar Covalent Bond
 The atoms participating in the bond are sharing electrons equally.
equally
There is no difference in charge between the two ends of such
bonds.
 Polar Covalent Bond

 Atoms participating in the bonds do not share electrons equally.
 One atom pulls the electrons a little more toward its "end" of the
bond, so that atom bears a slightly negative charge. The atom at the
other end of the bond bears a slightly positive charge.
Polar Covalent Bond
 Polarity occurs when atoms
electrons unequally due to

differences in
electronegativities.
This is seen in water
(H2O).
 More electronegative atoms
tend to pull electrons

toward them creating a
The oxygen atom in a water molecule carries a slight negative
polar molecule.
charge, and each of the hydrogen atoms carries a slight positive
charge. Any separation of charge into distinct positive and negative
regions is called polarity.
Ionization
 Molecules formed by ionic

bonding breakup (ionization)
when dissolved in water
(solvent), producing separate
positive (cation) and negative
(anion) ions.
These ions conduct electricity

and thus called electrolytes.
Hydrogen Bonds
 A hydrogen bond is a weak attraction between a hydrogen atom
and another atom taking part in a separate polar covalent bond
 Like ionic bonds, hydrogen bonds form by the mutual attraction
of opposite charges.
 Unlike ionic bonds, hydrogen bonds do not make molecules out of
atoms, so they are not chemical bonds
 Hydrogen bonds form and break much more easily
 Hydrogen bonding is
formed between the
partially positive
(hydrogen) end of a
polar molecule and the
negative end of
another
(e.g. O2 or N2).
 Example : Water molecules

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Chemistry of Life

 Just as buildings are made from

Organs and organ systems

Example: Earth → Deciduous Forest → Living Things in Forest → All Maple

 The simplest particle of an element that retains

 Central core, consisting of positive

Mass number = Total number of protons and neutrons

Chemical bonds involve atoms sharing, donating or accepting electrons

A bond that is formed by the transfer of electrons is called an ionic bond.

Sharing of pairs of electrons is called covalent bonding.

 Polar Covalent Bond

electrons unequally due to

 More electronegative atoms

tend to pull electrons

 Molecules formed by ionic

These ions conduct electricity

 Example : Water molecules

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