CHEMISTRY
BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR BIOCHEM
MATTER
• All the “stuff” on Earth
• Solid, liquid, gas, or plasma
• Change physically or chemically
ENERGY
• Effects all matter
• Kinetic Energy – energy that does work
• Potential Energy – stored energy that is inactive
ENERGY
• Chemical Energy
• Stored in bonds of chemicals
• Electrical Energy
• Movement of charged particles
• Mechanical Energy
• Directly involved in movement
• Radiant Energy
• Travels in waves
COMPOSITION OF MATTER
• All matter is made of elements
• Elements – unique substances that can’t be made
simpler
• Periodic Table
COMPOSITION OF MATTER
• Each element is made of atoms
• Atomic symbols
• Nucleus
• Protons and neutrons
• Outer “shell”
• Electrons
IDENTIFYING ELEMENTS
• Atomic Number
• Number of protons
• Atomic Mass
• Number of protons and neutrons
• Isotopes
• Differing numbers of neutrons
• Some are radioactive
COMBINATIONS OF ATOMS
• Two or more atoms combined makes a molecule
• Two or more different atoms combined makes a
compound
CHEMICAL BONDS
• Use electrons from outer valence shell to bond
• 2 or 8 maximum
• Ionic bonds and covalent bonds
IONIC BONDS
• When an atom loses or gains an electron it
becomes a charged ion
• Ions can steal or give electrons to opposite ions and
bond
COVALENT BONDS
• Some bonds equally share valence electrons
• Works to get maximum valence electrons for each
HYDROGEN BONDS
• Extremely weak covalent bonds
• Commonly found in water
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
• Synthesis Reactions
• Combining reactants to make a product
• Decomposition Reactions
• Breaking a reactant down into products
• Exchange Reactions
• Substances change or trade parts
BIOCHEMISTRY
• Two main biological molecules
• Inorganic
• Usually lack Carbon
• Organic
• Include Carbon
INORGANIC COMPOUNDS
• Water
• Salts
• Many acids and bases
WATER
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Most abundant inorganic compound
Can absorb and release a lot of heat
Universal solvent
Important in chemical reactions of the body
Part of body protection
SALTS
• Ionic compounds
• Vital to body function
• Electrolytes
• Substances that conduct electrical current in solution
ACIDS
• Release H+ ions
• Called proton donors
BASES
• Release OH- ions
• Called proton acceptors
ACIDS AND BASES
• Neutralize each other
• pH scale
• Concentration of ions
• Human body has many buffers to combat excessive
pH values
ORGANIC MOLECULES
• Have functional groups for reactions
• Four main macromolecules or polymers
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Carbohydrates
Lipids
Proteins
Nucleic acids
CARBOHYDRATES
• Sugars and starches
• Monosaccharides
• Simple sugars
• Example, glucose
• Disaccharides
• Double sugars
• Example, sucrose
CARBOHYDRATES
• Polysaccharides
• Many sugars
• Example, starch
• Carbohydrates are great energy storage molecules
LIPIDS
• Fats, oils, and waxes
• Triglycerides
• Made of three fatty acids and glycerol
• Saturated
• Only have single bonds between carbons
• Unsaturated
• May have double or triple bonds
LIPIDS
• Phospholipids
• Two fatty acids and a phosphorous group
• Make cell boundaries
• Steroids
• Rings of lipid material
• Cholesterol
• Energy storage and cell structure
PROTEINS
• Many roles
• Mostly related to cell and body function
• Made of amino acids in a chain
PROTEINS
• Four levels of structure
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Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
Quaternary
PROTEINS
• Three main proteins of the body
• Fibrous
• Providing strength to body tissue
• Globular
• Functional proteins
• Enzymes
• Start chemical reactions in the body
NUCLEIC ACIDS
• Make up your genes and send info through the cell
• DNA and RNA
• Made of nucleotides
NUCLEIC ACIDS
• Nucleotides
• Nitrogen base
• Adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine, or uracil
• 5 carbon sugar
• Phosphate group
ATP
• Adenosine triphosphate provides valuable energy
to the cell
• Uses energy from glucose by storing it and
converting it