Download Biochemistry I: Chemistry Basics

Biochemistry I: Chemistry Basics
I. Basic Concepts/Vocabulary:
1. Matter: anything that occupies
space and has mass
-4 states of matter
1. Solid
2. Liquid
3. Gas
4. Plasma
2. Mass: the amount of matter an
object has
-constant throughout universe
3. Weight: the force of gravity on an
object
4. Element: a pure substance which cannot be
broken down into simpler kinds of matter
-4 types of elements
Metals
Metalloids
Non-metals
Inert (noble) gases
II. Periodic Table of Elements
-Developed by Dmitri “Wild man” Mendeleev
-tabular arrangement by increasing atomic number
-organized by rows (periods) and columns
(groups)
-physical and chemical properties repeat
themselves
III. Atomic Theory - the atom model
Atom: the simplest particle of an element that retains
all the properties of that element
3 subatomic particles
1. Proton: (+) charge; nucleus
2. Neutron: (0) charge; nucleus
3. Electron: (-) charge; electron cloud
-electron cloud makes up most of the volume
-nucleus makes up the mass
Atomic Number: the # of protons in
an atom
Atomic # = 7; Nitrogen
Atomic Mass: the number of protons
plus the number of neutrons
Ion: an atom in which protons don’t
equal electrons; charged atom
Two Types:
1. Cation: a positively
charged ion (lost
electrons)
2. Anion: a negatively
charged ion (gained
electrons)
(Neutral atom: protons =
electrons)
Electrons: high energy particles that
pair up in energy levels
Electron Energy Levels:
Level
K
L
M
N
Number of Electrons
2
8
18
32
IV. Chemical Bonding
3 Types:
1. Ionic Bond: bond formed from the attraction of
oppositely charged ions
(metal and non-metal)
2. Covalent Bond: bond formed when atoms share
one or more pairs of electrons
(between non-metals)
3. Hydrogen Bond: bond formed between partially
charged molecules
Ionic Bond: between metals & nonmetals
Covalent Bond: between non-metals
Hydrogen Bond
Compound: combination of atoms
from two or more elements
V. Chemical Reactions
Catalyst: substance that reduces the amount of
energy required to activate a reaction
Ex. Enzymes, chlorophyll
VI. Solutions
Solution: a mixture in which one or more substances
are uniformly distributed in another substance
2 Components
1. Solute: substance
dissolved in solution
2. Solvent: substance in
which solute is
dissolved
Concentration: a measurement of the
amount of solute dissolved in a solution
Saturated Solution: no more solute
can be dissolved
Aqueous Solution: a solution in which
water is the solvent
VII: pH Scale: a scale developed to
measure the strength of Acids and Bases
• Compares
concentrations of
hydronium (H+) and
Hydroxide (OH-) ions in
solution
• Range 0 to 14
Acid: a compound that releases
hydronium (H+) in solution
Properties:
1. Good conductor of
electricity
2. Sour taste
3. Reacts with metals
Examples:
HCL
Base: a compound that releases
hydroxide ions (OH-) in solution
Properties:
1. Conduct electricity
2. Slippery in solution
3. Do not react with
metals
Examples:
Neutralization: making an acid or
base neutral by mixing them together
Buffer: chemical
substance that
neutralize an acid or
base solution
Neutralization Reaction:
Acid + Base  Salt +
water
VIII: Water: The Molecule of Life
-Most common chemical
compound on Earth
- Universal compound in
chemical reactions
Properties
1. Freezing point 0; boiling
point 100
2. Universal solvent
3. A polarized molecule
4. Cohesive to allow free
flow (transport)
5. Temp rises and falls slowly
6. Tends to remain a liquid
7. Less dense as a solid
8. Most dense a 4 C
Biochemistry II: Biological
Macromolecules
Most Common Elements in LIfe
1.
2.
3.
4.
Carbon: C
Hydrogen: H
Oxygen: O
Nitrogen: N
Two groups of Carbon Molecules:
1. Monomer: a subunit
(building block) of a
larger marcromolecule
2. Polymer: a large
molecule of repeating
monomers
Biological Carbon Compounds:
1. Carbohydrates: organic compounds in which there
are twice as many hydrogen atoms as oxygen atoms
3 Types:
1. Monosaccharide:
monomers of
carbohydrates that six
carbon, simple sugars
(glucose – C6H12O6)
2. Disaccharide: twelve
carbon double sugars
3. Polysaccharide:
numerous
monosaccharides linked
together (cellulose –
starch in plants)
2. Lipids: organic compounds that feel
greasy and will not dissolve in water
Ex. Fats, waxes, oils,
steroids
Fatty acids: the
monomers (building
blocks) of lipids and fats
Phospholipids : lipids that
consist of a phosphate
head and two lipid tails
(found in cell
membranes)
3. Nucleic Acids – the acids of life
- Found in the nucleus of
cells
- Contain genetic
information
- Deoxyribonucleic acid
(DNA)
- Ribonucleic Acid (RNA)
- Monomers are
nucleotides
- Four bases: Adenine (A),
thymine (T), cytosine (C),
Guanine (G)
4. Proteins: a polymer formed by linking
numerous amino acids together.
Ex. Hemoglobin,
enzymes, insulin
Amino Acids: monomers
of proteins
-consist of an amine
group and an acid group