Subject/Course Title: Biology—Honors
Unit Title/Skill Set: 2. The Chemical Basis of Life
Overview: This unit includes the emergent properties of water and organic compounds and
how they are essential for life on earth.
Unit Essential Question(s): How is life a product of the organization and interaction of
matter?
Unit Key Questions as Do Now’s:
1. Describe the types of chemical bonds and their importance to living things.
2. Describe the unique properties of water.
Explain how the unique properties of water make life on earth possible.
3. Describe the structure of a carbon atom.
4. Explain how carbon atoms bond to form biological macromolecules.
5. Describe how biological macromolecules form from monomers.
6. Compare the structure and function of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids
in organisms.
Explain how enzymes act as catalysts to regulate biochemical reactions.
7. Explain how environmental factors affect the function and reaction rate of the enzyme.
8. Interpret graphs to analyze enzyme-catalyzed reactions.
CHEMISTRY SYLLABUS—H
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Every reading assignment is expected to be completed BEFORE you come to class. Confused
about the reading? AS YOU READ, Prepare questions to ask in class.
Be a Scout and Be Prepared…Reading quizzes may be given at ANY time.
Homework is due ON THE DUE DATE (Sectionals—Turn in on the due date…Field trips and
illnesses—turn in on your first day back.).
Do Now’s are to be completed in class and turned in THAT BLOCK. (Absent—Turn in first day
back. Questions on the reading that goes with the Do Now—Turn in written question specifying
what you don’t understand. Be specific. Don’t say, “I don’t get it”.)
Vocabulary understanding is necessary. Attend to the words at the beginning of each chapter, or
words that you encounter that are new to you.
6. **In order for you to participate in structured activities and labs, you must have your
Guided Reading up-to-date as well as your vocabulary.
7.
Labs are to be read beforehand.
Day
Lesson
Homework
Intro
to
chemistry-chemical
basis
for
life
1
Periodic Table, bonding, atomic theory
Do: Read 2.1, 2.3
Vocab/Reading
Slides
2-3 Powers of 10 / Hall activity-Distance
Water Properties Worksheet
Day 2: Read: 3.1, 3.2
Lab—pH—Egg Challenge
Vocab/Reading
Slides
4-7 Organic, inorganic
Monomers and Polymers, Lipids/Fats,
Day 6: Read 2.2
Carbohydrates, Proteins, Nucleic Acids
DUE
*Day 5
DUE: pH/Egg Lab
Lab—Macromolecules
Vocab/Reading
810
Slides
Enzymes
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mpc
nkBE6FS0&feature=related
DUE: Macro Lab
Lab—Toothpickase
Vocab/Reading
Slides
11
*Day 12 DUE: Toothpick Lab
and Unit Test-USATestprep
Unit Vocabulary:
activation energy
active site
adhesion
allosteric
amino acid
buffer
capillary action
carbohydrates
catalyst
cohesion
competitive inhibitor
concentration
dehydration synthesis
(condensation)
enzyme
evaporative cooling
hydrogen bond
hydrolysis
induced fit
lipids
macromolecule
monomer
monosaccharide
noncompetitive
inhibitor
nucleic acids
nucleotide
pH
polarity
polymer
properties (scientific)
proteins
reaction rates
specific heat
substrate
surface tension
transpiration
versatile solvent
*Vocab Picture Crossword instructions:
**Hint: Use metric graph paper! The squares are bigger.
1. Choose 10 words.
2. On one sheet of graph paper (with margins), make an answer key. Title it ‘Chemistry
Answer Key’.
3. On another piece of graph paper (with margins), make a blank crossword puzzle with
the correct number of Across/Down spaces with appropriate numbers for each. Title it
‘Chemistry Crossword Puzzle’. Name, date, and block are in the upper right-hand
corner.
4. On another sheet of paper with margins, title it ‘Chemistry Across Clues’.
5. Draw models that represent each word that is ‘Across’, use titles and labels that DO
NOT SAY WHAT THE VOCAB WORD IS!!!!.
a. You may use arrows to point to a particular place on the model to which you
want to draw attention.
b. Remember to number your Across clues.
6. Repeat direction #4 for the ‘Chemistry Down Clues’.
7. Staple in this order:
a. Blank answer sheet
b. Across clues
c. Down clues
d. Answer Key (filled in crossword)
CHEM Crossword Puzzle Blank
_____Score
Name_______________________________
CHEM Crossword Puzzle Answers
Why Electrons are Important OR How Things Are Put Together Determines What
They Can or Cannot Do
Background:
So far you’ve read that the nucleus contains the positive charges in units referred to as
‘protons’ and neutral units referred to as ‘neutrons’. Surrounding this nucleus are electrons,
which carry a negative charge. The total negative charge equals the total positive charge in
an atom that has a neutral balance. Some atoms have an unequal number of + or – charges,
and are referred to as ions. Electrons closest to the nucleus are of lower energy than electrons
that are the farthest from the nucleus. For practical purposes, we are generally only
concerned with the outer valence electrons. These are the electrons that will engage in
bonding with other substances. Bonding results when electrons are shared, covalent, or are
stolen, ionic. As a rule of thumb: Ionic bonds form when a nonmetal and a metal exchange
electrons, while covalent bonds form when electrons are shared between two nonmetals.
Read the excerpt from Dr. Eden Francis of Clackamas Community College, OR. In order to
facilitate understanding, refer to the Periodic Chart as you read the following valence
information.
Valence Electrons
The valence electrons are the electrons in the last shell or energy level of an atom. They do show
a repeating or periodic pattern. The valence electrons increase in number as you go across a
period. Then when you start the new period, the number drops back down to one and starts
increasing again.
For example, when you go across the table from
carbon to nitrogen to oxygen, the number of
valence electrons increases from 4 to 5 to 6. As
we go from fluorine to neon to sodium, the
number of valence electrons increases from 7 to
8 and then drops down to 1 when we start the
new period with sodium. Within a group--starting
with carbon and going down to silicon and
germanium--the number of valence electrons
stays the same.
C
4
Na
1
N
5
O
6
F
7
Ne
8
Si
4
Ge
4
A quick way to determine the number of valence electrons for a representative element is to look
at which group is it in. Elements in group Ia have 1 valence electron. Elements in group IIa have 2
valence electrons. Can you guess how many valence electrons elements in group VIa have? If you
guessed 6 valence electrons, then you are correct! The only group of representative elements that
this method doesn't work for is group 0. Those elements certainly have more than 0 valence
electrons; in fact, all of them except for helium have 8 valence electrons. Why doesn't helium
have 8 valence electrons? Think for a moment about how many electrons helium has - it has a total
of only two electrons, so helium only has 2 valence electrons.
Valence
Page 2
So generally speaking, the number of valence electrons stays the same as you go up or down a
group, but they increase as you go from left to right across the periodic table. The preceding
statement works very well for the representative elements, but it comes a bit short of the truth
when you start talking about the transition elements.
If you had difficulty understanding the number of valence electrons in any of the elements
(except the transition elements), stop now and check with your teacher.
Remember: Valence indicates the ability (and number of electrons used) one atom has
to bond to another atom.
Remember: Valence is dependent upon the number of electrons in the outer shell only.
STOP! Do the Quick Check below.
1. Determine the valence electrons for:
Carbon
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Potassium
Calcium
2. Bonds tend to form at the site of valence electrons. Therefore, How many electrons do
each of these elements need? Remember that (other than Hydrogen with 1 electron in the
first level, and Helium with 2 electrons which is a complete first level), these elements need a
full shell of 8 electrons.
(A full first level = 2)
Carbon
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Potassium
Calcium
Circle the letter of the correct answer.
3. The components of an atom and their charge are
a. Nucleus (proton +/neutron 0), surrounded by electrons (-).
b. Nucleus (positron +/neutron 0), surrounded by electrons (-).
c. Nucleus (proton 0/neutron 0), surrounded by electrons (-).
d. Nucleus (proton +/neutron +), surrounded by electrons (-).
4. Electrons are in energy shells, levels, or rings (all names refer to essentially the same
concept). Each energy shell with a maximum number of electrons. The maximum number for
the first two shells are
a. 2, 4
b. 2, 6
c. 2, 8
Valence
Page 3
5. If the nucleus has an overall positive charge, and the overall atom has a neutral charge,
then
a. the number of neutrons equals the number of protons.
b. the number of neutrons equals the number of electrons.
c. the number of protons equals the number of electrons.
6. If an atom has six protons, what is the element?
a. Helium
b. Oxygen
c. Carbon
7. Most of the energy stored in electrons are stored in the
a. energy shell closest to the nucleus.
b. energy shell in the middle.
c. energy shell furthest from the nucleus.
8. Valence electrons are located in the ___and are important because they___.
a. energy level closest to the nucleus…determine the physical properties of
the atom.
b. energy level in the middle of the electron shells…form bonds with other
atoms.
c. energy level furthest from the nucleus…determine the physical properties
of the atom and form bonds with other atoms.
9. Atomic bonds occur between
a. only like atoms.
b. atoms with all their energy shells filled.
c. atoms with missing valence spaces.
10. Covalent bonds
a. occur between elements that can only share one pair of electrons.
b. steal electrons from an atom.
c. fill outer energy shells to create an imbalance in overall electron number.
d. occur between atoms by sharing electrons.
11. Atoms of an element that have the same number of
a. protons but have a different number of neutrons are called isotopes.
b. neutrons but have a different number of electrons are called isotopes.
but a different number of protons are called isotopes.
c. neutrons
Valence
Page 4
12. An atom is___an element is___and a molecule is___.
a. the simplest energy form…the simplest form of an atom…the simplest
part of a substance that retains its properties and can exist in a
free state.
b. the simplest particle of an element…the simplest form of an atom…the
simplest part of a substance that retains its properties and can exist
in a free state.
c. the simplest particle of an element that retains all the properties of that
element…a substance that cannot be broken chemically into simpler
kinds of matter…the simplest part of a substance that retains its
properties and can exist in a free state.
13. Atoms of two or more elements that combine in fixed proportions for which a
chemical formula may be written are
a. ionically bonded
b. organic in nature
c. compounds with specific properties
14. Bonds between a metal and non-metal in which electrons are ‘stolen’ or
transferred creates…
a. a stable substance and are said to be ionic
b. an unstable substance and are said to be ionic
c. a stable substance and are said to be covalent
d. an unstable substance and are said to be covalent
What’s so great about
PART I. View these references after you have completed your text reading. Use the
interactive study helps on Quizlet. The choices are in the command bar at the top. For
Water and the Fitness of the Environment, scroll through the topics and browse the
information. For Water and Temperature Moderation, view the YouTube video using
earphones. When you have finished these resources, work with your partners to
complete the section to which your group was assigned. You may refer back to any of
your resources to do this.
1. Quizlet: http://quizlet.com/146501/properties-of-water-flash-cards/
2. Water and the Fitness of the Environment:
https://www.google.com/search?q=water+and+temperature+moderation&ie=utf
-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
3. Water and Temperature Moderation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctkgD_UuX90
Part II: The properties of water
Introduction: Water is one the most (if not the most) important compounds to living things.
Living organisms are made up of a high percentage of water, and rely on water to maintain
homeostasis. Water is an extremely versatile molecule, and has unique properties that allow
it to be so useful.
Method: Your group will be given a property of water to research. You will use resources in
the classroom to investigate this property of water. Your group should give a clear definition
of what your property is, some kind of visual example (model, board drawing, or
demonstration), and state why it is important. You will then share your water property
research with the class. Use titles and labels on all models.
WATER’S PROPERTIES
Polarity & Solubility:
Hydrogen Bonding:
Cohesion:
Adhesion:
Capillary Action
Temperature Moderation:
Solid vs. Liquid Density:

PART III: Use the following resource for clarifying your understanding of pH:
The ‘Powers of 10’ on YouTube, and Understanding pH:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKBhvDjuy0
PART IV: pH—Acid-Base Reactions of Natural Indicators with Various Common
Substances
Objectives:
We discussed the relationship of acids and bases, as measured by pH, to various biological
processes. These processes occur in living things all the time, and are essential to the
functions of life. In this lab we will experiment with various common substances to test their
relative acidity or alkalinity.
Hypothesis:
Common household agents, which all have a natural origin, may be used to test and observe
whether a substance is an acid or base. Chemical reactions will occur between acidic and
alkaline substances.
Test of the Hypothesis:
To test this, we will use a plant dye as a color indicator. This plant dye, a natural substance,
should change color upon contact with a substance, depending on whether it is an acid or
base. The color indicator we will use is the juice of a red cabbage.
Materials:
Tapwater
White vinegar
Ammonia
Distilled water
Liquid soap (aq)
Baking soda (aq)
Corn syrup (aq)
Droppers
Spot Plates
We will be testing various common substances with the cabbage juice color indicator.
Procedures:
I have prepared the juice from a red cabbage by boiling half a head of a cabbage for
approximately 30 minutes in distilled water. The resultant juice is a dark purple liquid. Place
a plain white sheet of paper width-wise on the lab bench. Place the spot plate on top of the
paper. Number 1 to 7 on the right-hand side of the paper. Assign each solution a number.
Step1. Drop one drop of each solution in its own well according to the number you assigned.
Be careful not to touch the solution, as that will affect its chemical properties. Also be careful
not so spill any of the solution on yourself or your surroundings, some of the chemicals we
will test can stain clothing and be a skin irritant.
Step 2. Using the droppers provided, add one drop of the purple cabbage juice color indicator
to each well solution.
Step 3. On a plain piece of paper, write the title, your name, date and block. Make margins
on the four sides.
Step 4. Make the following data table for the seven solutions.
pH Indicator Color Results With Unknown Substrates Table
Substrate Prediction
(4)
Red
(5)
+
(6)
No
Change
(7)
-
Blue/
Green
(8)
+
(10)
Acid Buffer
or
# of
Base Drops
(9)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Step 5. Make predictions as to the possible pH for each of the seven substrates using the pH
value numbers from 4-10 as in the above table.
Step 6. Record the color changes that you observe occurring in each well. Use the ‘-’ to
indicate a lighter color, and the ‘+’ to indicate a darker color, and the Blue/Red to indicate
the medium of that color. The color will tell you whether each solution substance is an acid
or base. It will be your job to make the final determination as to the actual number assigned.
Step 7. Choose any solution for which you assigned a ‘-’ to or a ‘+’. Now choose a substance
that you think will produce results close to a pH of ‘7’. Add one drop of this solution to your
spot plate substance. Keep adding drops until EITHER you estimate the pH to be close to 7
OR you’ve added up to 5 drops. Stop at 5 drops. Record your results on your data chart.
Reaction Explanations:
The solutions that show no change of color are neither acids nor bases, and can be generally
thought of as having a neutral pH.
Solution substances that turn the cabbage juice color indicator pink are acidic. Solution
substances that turn the cabbage juice color indicator blue or green are basic.
Discussion Questions:
1. How did your predictions align with the actual values you assigned? Were there any
surprises? If so, what?
2. Write a short explanation of the buffer procedure along with your results (3-5 sentences).
How would you select a substance in order to buffer a solution on the opposite end of the pH
scale?
The Egg Challenge pH Lab—H
Background:
We’ve discussed the dramatic effects that living things have to even small pH changes due to
enzyme destruction, protein bond breakage, and cell membranes breaking down as structures
change shape. However, pH also has effects on inorganic substances as well, some of which
are components to organic systems. Acid corrodes metals, for example.
Use your knowledge of pH and the actions of substances when heating and cooling to make
predictions about the results of adding baking soda to eggs in a boiling water bath, plunging
them into ice water, and then peeling them.
I predict that the baking soda will have the following effects on eggs in a boiling
water bath:
__________________________________________________________________________
because:
__________________________________________________________________________.
Watch the video on peeling hard-boiled eggs at:
http://www.npr.org/2014/01/02/259110599/30-something-everyday-tasks-you-might-bedoing-wrong
Method:
1. You and your partner will write a brief Methods and Results blank data chart section of
a lab report detailing exactly how you propose to carry out this experiment. You must include
gathering results from other groups.
2. Have your teacher review your methods.
3. Set up the experiment and make a model of it.
4. Carry out the experiment.
5. Clean up.
6. Complete your data chart and results section.
7. Answer the Discussion Questions on your Methods/data chart paper.
Discussion Questions (Rephrase the question in your answer):
1. How did your prediction and results compare with other groups?
2. Why do you think you got your results?
3. How might you change your experiment and why?
4. Was there missing information in the video that you would have benefitted from having?
How/why?
CLASS
COMPONENTS
CHARACTARISTICS
Carbohydrates
Proteins
Lipids
Nucleic
Acids
MACROMOLECULE CLUES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Its monomer is a monosaccharide.
These form peptide bonds.$
Enzymes are examples of these.
Triglycerides are an example of these.
Monomers, amino acids are these.
Glucose is an example.
C:H:O in a 1:2:1 ratio.
These are formed by polypeptides.
These are made up of mostly fatty acids.
A wax is an example of these.
These are known as a macromolecule.
Plants make these during photosynthesis.
These are often bent and folded as a result of interactions such as H bonding.
EXAMPLES
CHO Lab
_________Score
Name___________________________
Toothpickase Enzyme Lab
Background:
The vocabulary and processes of enzyme reactions are modeled with your hands and
toothpicks. The enzyme is your hand with a particular shape up through the quaternary
structure. Your thumb and fingers form a ‘claw’ shaped subunit coming together to grasp the
substrate. The active site is the portion of your thumb and index finger, which forms a space
within which the toothpick fits. The substrate is the toothpick. The toothpick substrate has
‘bonds’ that can be broken to form two products.
The rate of the reaction can be measured by counting the amount of product produced or by
counting the amount of substrate remaining in a period of time. There are many factors that
affect the rate of an enzyme reaction. Break a toothpick. Can a toothpick be broken faster?
Can it be broken infinitely faster? Given a pile of toothpick substrates, and ideal conditions,
it still takes some time for the enzyme to break the toothpick…that is the enzyme’s Velocity
max. If the room were filled with toothpicks, the rate would not increase, at least not
initially. Would it take longer to break the toothpick if it was across the room on the floor
(lower substrate concentration)? If it was surrounded by look-alikes (competitive
inhibitors)? What would happen to the amount of time to break toothpicks if two people
were breaking at the same time (enzyme concentration)? What if the enzyme underwent a
very high temperature stress and became ‘unraveled’ (denatured)?
Materials:
125 Toothpicks
Competitive Inhibitor for one group
Stopwatch
Denatured enzyme for one group
Method:











Work in groups of two. One to simulate the enzyme, and one to keep time.
Count out 120 toothpicks and group them into three groups of 40 each.
Each stack of toothpicks will then be broken for selected time intervals: 0 sec, 20 sec,
40 sec, and 60 sec.
The enzyme does not stop breaking toothpicks, but the timer will call out ‘Twenty
seconds’ and the enzyme will move to the next pile of toothpicks, then the timer will
call out ‘Forty seconds’ and the enzyme will move to the next pile of toothpicks, and
so on.
At the end of 60 seconds, stop breaking toothpicks.
Count the number of toothpicks broken and unbroken in each pile.
Each student will make a data table, graph, and answer the discussion questions.
Record the results on a data table noting Time (sec) and Number of Toothpicks
Metabolized (broken), and Number of Toothpicks Not Metabolized (whole).
Record the results for the Competitive Inhibitor.
Record the results for the Denatured Enzyme.
If you are the group of Competitive or Denatured, use another lab’s data for the
Active Enzyme numbers.






Create a bar graph with the title Toothpicks Metabolized by Various Enzyme
Conditions vs Time.
Include Active Enzyme, Competitive Inhibitor, and Denatured Enzyme on your
graph.
Be sure to include the Not Metabolized data on the graph!
(Hint: use dark blue for Active Enzyme metabolized/light blue for not metabolized,
red for Competitive Inhibitor metabolized/pink for not metabolized, and dark green
for Denatured Enzyme metabolized/light green for not metabolized).
Make a model of the enzyme and the substrate.
Use a Title and labels .
Discussion answers go on the back of the graph paper:
1. Discuss the significance of the slope of the graphed data for the Active Enzyme. Use
data from the lab.
2. Compare and contrast the three types of Enzyme activity. Use data from the lab.
3. How does the shape of the competitive inhibitor and denatured enzyme relate to how
well the enzyme can metabolize? Give specific examples using data from the lab.
**Ask someone NOT at your lab table to Peer Review:
1. Your data chart for: Title and Headings (including sec.), and sign to the bottom right
of the data chart.
2. Your model for: Title and labels, and sign to the bottom right of the model.
3. Your graph for: Title and Labels, Units, and sign to the bottom right of the graph.
4. Your Discussion questions for: Complete sentences that restate the question, and
Punctuation.!?, and sign to the bottom right of the answers.
Do Now—Chemistry H
_______Score
Name__________________________________Date_______ Blk__
*Remember to rephrase the question in your answer. Write using complete sentences
and punctuation.
1.
2
3.
4.
5.
6a.
6b.
7.
8.