Class Notes

Honors Biology

“LIFE
CHEMISTRY”
Water
•The most important
property of the water
molecule is that it is
charged on each end
 M
W O
H
A - L
E
TE O C
R +
U
H L
E
Mixture:
• Substance composed of two or
more elements or compounds
that are mixed together but not
chemically combined
• ex - salt and pepper / sugar
and sand
Suspensions:
• Mixture of water and a non-
dissolved material
• Material does not dissolve and
does not settle in the liquid
• It remains ‘suspended’
• Ex - Blood, Oil and Water, Gravy
Solution:
A substance dissolves
in another
Ex - Sugar in water
Solvent:
•The substance that
does the dissolving
•Ex - The water
Solute:
•The substance that
is dissolved
•Ex - The sugar
Acids
and
Bases
Acids:
• Compounds that release
hydrogen ions ( H + ) into
solution
• Ex - Hydrochloric acid (HCl)
• HCl ---> H+ + Cl -
Acids tend to have the
following characteristics:
• ionize in water to generate
hydrogen ions [H+]
• turn litmus paper RED
• induce a sour taste (e.g.
lemon)
• have a pH less than 7
Bases:
• Compounds that release
hydroxide ions (OH - ) into
solution
• Ex - Sodium Hydroxide
(NaOH)
• NaOH ---> Na + + OH -
Bases tend to have the
following characteristics:
• ionize in water to generate
hydroxide ions [OH-]
• turn litmus paper BLUE
• induce a bitter taste
• feel slimy
• Have a pH more than 7
Look at each of the
following product
and see if you can
guess if it is an
ACID or a BASE....
ACID
OR
BASE
????
?
ACID
OR
BASE
????
?
ACID
OR
BASE
????
?
ACID OR BASE
?????
ACID
OR
BASE
?????
ACID OR BASE
?????
pH Scale:
•A measurement system
that indicates the relative
concentrations of
hydrogen ions [H+] and
hydroxide ions [OH-]
• pH Scale runs from 0 to 14
• A difference of 1 on the scale is
actually a difference of 10 times the
relative strength of the acids or
bases:
• ‘0’ means 100 = 1
• ‘1’ means 101 = 10
• ’2’ means 102 = 100
• ‘3’ means 103 = 1000 etc.....
 Lye

pH scale
14

Increasingly Basic
Household Bleach
13 Oven Cleaner
12
Page 66 in 11 Household Ammonia

10
your book
Soap

9 Baking Soda

8 Sea Water
Human Blood
Neutral 7 Tears
Water
Saliva
6 Urine

Normal rainwater
5
Increasingly Acidic
Shampoo
4 Tomatoes

3 Vinegar/Cola

2 Lemon Juice
1 Stomach Acid
0
• Acidic = 0 to 6 = H+ ion concentration (0
is highly acidic)
• Neutral = 7 = Equal conc. of H+ and OH- ions
(water)
• Basic = 8 to 14 = OH- ion concentration (14
is highly basic)
• Neutralize an acid by adding a base
• Neutralize a base by adding an acid

• H + + OH - -----> H2O
Inorganic vs Organic Compounds

•Organic means the

compound contains
Carbon
•Inorganic means it does
not contain Carbon
Carbon:
• Living things contain carbon
• Carbon is special because of the
strong and stable bonds that it
can form
• Carbon has 4 electrons in its
second energy level
• This means that it can form 4
single covalent bonds
Polymerization:
• Large compounds (polymers)
formed from smaller ones
(monomers)
• Macromolecules: are giant
polymers
 4 Basic Molecules of Life:
• CARBOHYDRATES
• LIPIDS
• PROTEINS
• NUCLEIC ACIDS
CARBOHYDRATES :
(Sugars and Starches)
 Contain energy stored in the
bonds that make the molecules
 When the bonds are broken the
energy is released
Glucose is the basic energy
source for organisms
3 Kinds of Carbohydrates:

 MONOSACCHARIDES
 DISACCHARIDES
 POLYSACCHARIDES
MONOSACCHARIDES :
 MONO means “ONE”
 3 KINDS:
GLUCOSE (sugar in green plants)
FRUCTOSE (sugar in fruit)
GALACTOSE (sugar in milk)
Formula is C6H12O6 They
differ in the arrangement of atoms
DISACCHARIDES :
 DI- means “TWO”
 3 KINDS:
 SUCROSE - Table Sugar
(glucose + fructose)
 LACTOSE - Milk Sugar
(glucose + galactose)
 MALTOSE - Malt Sugar
(glucose + glucose)
POLYSACCHARIDES :
 -POLY- means “MANY”
 Made of long strings of
simple sugar molecules
POLYSACCHARIDES :
 3 KINDS
- STARCH
- CELLULOSE
- GLYCOGEN
 STARCH
 A Large Storage
Molecule in Plants
 Found in potatoes,
bread, pasta, etc.
 CELLULOSE
 A large molecule used as
Structure in Plants (Fiber)
 Fiber is Important in Human Diet
Cannot be digested in Humans -
Cleans your Intestines
 GLYCOGEN
 Large storage molecule
in animals
 Broken down for energy
as you need it
Dehydration Synthesis:
Dehydration = loss of water
Synthesis = putting together
 This reaction forms complex
carbohydrates by combining
two or more monosaccharides
 Each time a bond is formed, a
molecule of water is removed
(dehydration)
Hydrolysis :
 Reaction occurs when
polysaccharides are split apart
to form monosaccharides
 Means “water splitting”
 Reverse reaction of
dehydration synthesis
LIPIDS :
• Organic compounds that are waxy or
oily
• Made of Fatty Acids + Glycerol
• Used to store energy, form
biological membranes, used as
chemical messengers
• FATS / OILS / WAXES /
PHOSPHOLIPIDS / STEROLS
FATS / OILS / WAXES :
• Fats and waxes are solid at room
temperature, oils are liquid
• Plants and animals use lipids to store
energy
• When broken down, lipids produce
more energy than carbohydrates
• Fats can be Saturated or
Unsaturated or Polyunsaturated
• Saturated - Has every carbon
joined by a single bond, it
contains the maximum number of
hydrogen atoms
• Unsaturated - contains a pair of
carbons that is joined by a double
bond
• Polyunsaturated - contains
several double bonds
• Polyunsaturated fats are liquid at
room temperature and are used
as cooking oils. Ex - sesame oil,
peanut oil, corn oil, olive oil
• Replacing saturated fats in your
diet with polyunsaturated fats may
help prevent heart disease
PHOSPHOLIPIDS :
• Contains parts that dissolve well in
water and parts that don’t dissolve
well in water
• Liposomes - spontaneous forming
balloon-like structures with a double
layer of lipid molecules (“lipid
bilayer”)
• Lipid Bilayers form Cell Membranes
STEROL LIPIDS :
• Important in building cells and
carrying messages from one part of
the body to another (hormones)
• Cholesterol - common sterol -
important in many animal cells - if
excessive in diet, it is a risk factor in
heart disease
PROTEINS :
 FUNCTIONS of Proteins include:
Movement, Structure, Transport,
Biochemical Control, Storage,
Regulation, Defense
 Are Polymers of more than 20
different AMINO ACIDS
 Peptide Bond: Type of covalent
bond that joins two amino acids
Catalyst:
 Any substance that speeds up the
rate of chemical reactions without
being changed by the reaction
They work by lowering the “start-
up” energy of a reaction
 Enzymes are the catalysts in living
organisms
Enzymes:
 are a special group of proteins
that speed up the chemical
reactions that are necessary for
the ordinary activities of life
 simple cell may contain over
2000 different enzymes, each a
catalyst for a different reaction
 Substrates: are the
substances that are
affected by an enzyme
 Active Site: the region that
substrates bind to on an
enzyme (like a “Lock
and Key”)
Enzyme Functions:
 Regulating chemical pathways,
synthesizing materials needed by
cells, releasing energy, and
transferring information
 Involved in digestion, respiration,
reproduction, vision, movement,
thought, and even making other
enzymes
NUCLEIC ACIDS :
 Polymers of Nucleotides
 2 Kinds :
RNA Ribonucleic Acid
- Makes Proteins
DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid -
Store and Transmit Genetic
Information
 Lye

pH scale
14

Increasingly Basic
Household Bleach
13 Oven Cleaner
12 Stomach Acid

11 Household Ammonia
Page 66 in 10 Soap
your book 9 Baking Soda

8 Sea Water
Human Blood
Neutral 7 Tears
Water
Saliva
6 Urine

Copy this 5 Normal rainwater

Increasingly Acidic
Shampoo

scale for 4 Tomatoes

3 Vinegar/Cola

your 2 Lemon Juice

1
notes 0
Stomach Acid