BIOCHEMISTRY

The Chemistry of Life

FREE WRITE FRIDAY

IN YOUR NOTEBOOK
Has there ever been a time in your life where
all of the odds were against you? If so what
was going on that made you feel that way?

How did it make you feel?

What were some of the obstacles you had to
face?
Did it affect others around you? Positively or
negatively?
Are you a better person now because of that
struggle?

Bio-Chemistry

What do you think of when you see the

word Biochemistry?

List the first 5 things that you think of in

your notebook.

Bio Chemistry

Bio= life
Chemistry = how things interact
Biochemistry= the branch of science in
which you study the chemical and
physical processes that occur in an
organism.

I can

Identify the parts of an atom AND

understand how atoms interact

Matter

All matter, whether living or nonliving, is made of

the same type building blocks called atoms
An atom is the smallest basic unit of matter
All atoms have the same basic structure,
composed of three smaller particles

Proton a positively charged particle in an atoms

nucleus
Neutron a neutral (no charge) particle which has
about the same mass as a proton and is also in the
nucleus
Electron a negatively charged particle found
outside the nucleus. Electrons are much, much
smaller than proton and neutrons

Elements

Different types of atoms are called

elements, which cannot be broken down
by ordinary chemical means
Which element an atom is depends on the
number of protons in the atoms nucleus

For example all hydrogen atoms have

1proton and all oxygen atoms have 8 protons

Only about 25 different elements are found

in organisms

However, atoms of different elements can

link or bond together to form compounds

Isotope

Elements can have a different number of

neutrons.
This is called an isotope

Carbon 14, Carbon 13, and Carbon 12

Compounds

Atoms form compounds in two ways

Ionic bonds consists of ions and forms
through the electrical force between
oppositely charged ions

1.

An ion is an atom that has lost or gained electrons

Cation an ion that loses electrons so becomes

positively charged
Anion an ion that gains electrons so becomes
negatively charged

Covalent bonds forms when atoms share

one or more pairs of electrons

2.

A molecule consists of two or more atoms held

together by covalent bonds

Why elements bond the

way they do

All atoms want 8 electrons in their outer

most energy level (shell) This is called the
octet rule.
That is why they do what they do

Ionic bonds gain or lose electrons

Covalent share electrons

How do we identify each type

Ionic compound metal + non-metal

Covalent compound non-metal + non-metal

Try These

Identify the type of bond

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

MgF2
S 3O2
RbCl
PCl4
N 2O

Bell Ringer
1.
2.

3.

How is an atom different from a compound?

What does the number of protons tell us about
an element?
Identify the following as ionic or covalent
compounds
a.
b.
c.
d.

4.

Cl2F4
CuF2
AlBr3
CO2

Compare and contrast ionic and covalent bonds

Waters Unique Properties

The STRUCUTRE of the water molecule gives

water its unique properties
Water is a polar molecule, which means that
it has a region with a slight negative charge
(the oxygen atom) and a region with a slight
positive charge (the hydrogen atoms)
The oppositely charged regions of water
molecules interact to form hydrogen bonds

Hydrogen bond is an attraction between a

hydrogen atom and a negative atom

Bell Ringer

Which Property of water is responsible

for the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Homeostasis
Water beading up
An iceberg floating in the ocean
Water moving against gravity in a flower
stem

Bell Ringer

What makes water so unique?

Why is water considered a polar
molecule?
What is a hydrogen bond?

Carbon based molecules

Carbon based molecules are the foundation for life

Many of these molecules are large and called
polymers. Poly- many

A repeating unit of the same small molecule (monomer)

There are four main types of carbon-based

molecules in living things
1. Carbohydrates
2. Proteins
3. Lipids
4. Nucleic

acids

Bell Ringer

What is the main element in an organic

molecule?
How are monomers related to polymers?
What are the four main organic
molecules living organisms need?

After Presentation Review

1.

2.

3.

4.

Another name that lipids may be

called?
Why are nucleic acids so important to
living organisms?
List three foods you may find
carbohydrates
There is a special class of proteins
called enzymes what is their purpose
and why are they important?

Bell Ringer
1.

2.

3.

An athlete is preparing for a triathlon

what type of food should he eat before
hand and why?
Many animals hibernate in the winter, to
do so, they eat more food than need in
the fall. The extra calories are stored as
fat. Why do these animals do this?
Of the four carbon based molecules we
talked about which two rely on each
other more so than any other?

Carbohydrates

Known as sugars and starches

Also include cellulose and glycogen

Made up of monosaccharides (monomer)

which can be put together to form
disaccharides and polysaccharides

Disaccharides sucrose (table sugar)

Polysaccharides starch, cellulose (cell wall
component), and glycogen (storage of carbs
in the liver and muscle)
Glycogen

is important for insulin in humans

Why carbs are important to

living organisms

Short-term storage energy storage

Plant cell wall components strength
Component of cell membranes
glycogen

It helps identify the type of cell

Proteins

Known as meat to us
Made up of amino acids (monomer)
which can be put together to form
polypeptides (50-300 a.a.)

20 different amino acids are found in

human proteins

Why proteins are important

to living organism

Form body tissue

Important for immune response

Skin, hair, muscles

Antibodies fight off foreign invaders

All enzymes in the body

Biological catalysts they speed chemical

reactions inside the body

Lipids

Known as fats, oils and waxes

Made up of glycerol and fatty acids

Saturated fatty acids

Single

bonds join carbon (carbon carbon)

together
Are oils at room temperatures

Unsaturated fatty acids

Has

at least one carbon = carbon (joined by

double bonds)

3 fatty acids + 1 glycerol = triglyceride

Why lipids are important to

living organisms

Long term storage of energy

Fat is the storage mechanism

Formation of cell membranes

Nerves and brain tissue

Phospholipids and cholesterol
Phospholipids

have hydrophobic heads and

hydrophilic tails

Hormones

Made of steroids

Nucleic Acids

Known as DNA and RNA

Made up of nucleotides

A nucleotide consists of
Phosphate

group
Pentose sugar (5-carbon sugar)
Nitrogen base (A, T, C, G, or U)

Why nucleic acids are

important to living things

DNA

Blueprint for life

Our genes

RNA

Translates DNA to make PROTEINS

Chemical Reactions in the

body

Chemical reactions require the addition of

energy, called activation energy , to take place
Even if a chemical reactions starts, it may not
happen very quickly
However, both the activation energy and the rate
of a chemical reaction can be changed by a
catalyst

A catalyst is a substance that decreases the

activation energy for a reaction and increases the
rate of reaction
Enzymes

are biological catalysts

Enzymes

Almost all enzymes are proteins and almost

every process in living things needs
enzymes
The function of each enzyme depends on its
structure

A change in biological conditions can affect the

shape of an enzyme, which can decrease or
prevent an enzyme from working properly
For

example, enzymes function best in a small

range around an organisms normal temperature
and pH

Shapes of enzymes

The shape of an enzyme is important

because it allows only certain molecules
to bind to the enzyme
The specific molecules that an enzyme
acts on are called substrates

It works like a puzzle or lock and key only

certain pieces fit together for it to work
If

an enzymes structure changes, the substrate

cannot bind to the enzyme

Bell Ringer

What does the activation energy tell us

for a particular reaction?
How does a catalyst affect a chemical
reaction?
Why would enzymes be called a lock
and key or puzzle piece?

How it actually works

Substrates bind to the enzyme

The enzyme brings molecules close together so
that they can react with one another
The bonds inside the substrate are stretched
slightly out of position, which weakens the bonds
The reaction takes place and the product is
released from the enzyme

Less energy is needed to break weaker bonds

The enzyme can then bind to more of the

substrate molecules

One more thing about

chemical reactions and
There are two types of energy changes that can
enzymes
occur with chemical reactions

Exothermic reactions

enzymes do not change this for an reaction

Releases energy (usually in the form of heat or light)
Energy in the reactant bonds are higher than in the
product bonds

Endothermic reactions

Absorbs energy
Energy in the reactant bonds are lower than in the
product bonds

Important Properties of
Water

Hydrogen bonds are responsible for several

important properties of water
High specific heat water resists changes in
temperature it must absorb a large amount of
heat energy to increase the temperature
Cohesion the attraction among molecules of a
substance makes water stick together

1.

2.

Surface tension

Adhesion the attraction among molecules of

DIFFERENT substances makes water stick to
other materials

3.

Capillary action

Important Properties of
Water

Hydrogen bonds are responsible for

several important properties of water
Expands when freezes when water
freezes its volume becomes larger than in
the liquid or gas state (just the opposite of
most other compounds)

4.

Weathering and aquatic organisms

Lab Requirements

All Labs must have the following UNLESS

changed by me

Title and Date

Purpose
Pre-Lab Questions (if any)
Procedure (max of 3 sentences)
Data
Post Lab Questions (must be in complete
sentences)
Conclusions

A little more on water

Many compounds that are important for life

dissolve in water.
Water is the largest component of cells interiors,
and chemical reactions in the cell take place in
water
When one substance dissolves in another a
solution is made

Each solution is made up of two parts

Solute

what gets dissolved (usually in smallest amount)

Solvent what does the dissolving (usually in the largest
amt)

Acids and bases

When some substances dissolve in water they

break up into ions
Acids and bases are such substances they
are very important to living organism

Acids release H+ ions when dissolved in water

Bases accept H+ ion when dissolved in water

Organisms must maintain a staple pH and

even a small change in pH can disrupt many
biological processes (remember homeostasis?)

pH scale

The pH scale runs from 0 to 14

O 6 are considered acids (low pHs)
7 is neutral
8 14 are considered bases (high pHs)