Download The Toolbox of Science

Cell Chemistry
I can’t think of anything clever here...
What are we?
 Basic human recipe
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50l water (H,O)
16kg coal (C)
5kg of fireworks (K,N,C,S)
chalk (Ca,C)
matches (P)
salt (Na,Cl)
some metals (Fe, Mg, etc)
Basic Chemistry review
 We have to start somewhere, so we might as
well start with…..(dramatic pause)
 Elements!
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Any substance that can not be broken down
into something simpler.
 Atom
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The smallest unit of an element.
» 1,102,000 ft²
Basic Chemistry review
 So….If we take two or more elements and
we chemically combine them we form a..
 Compound
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Chemically combined elements.
Water..salt..etc
Basic Chemistry review
 In much the same way the atom was the
smallest unit of an element…..
 A molecule
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The smallest unit of a compound.
Basic Chemistry review
 In chemistry, organic does not mean
“without chemical herbicides or pesticides.”
In chemistry, organic refers to carbon.
 Carbon containing compounds are called
Organic compounds
• Well…most of them anyway
• A great and common exception CO2
Basic Chemistry review
 I’ll bet your not surprised to find out that….
 Compounds that don’t contain carbon are
called inorganic compounds.
Proteins
 Look at your neighbor……your basically
looking at:
 Proteins
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Large organic molecules
• carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sometimes
sulfur.
Proteins
 I’m sure you’re getting used to this…….
 Proteins are made of amino acids
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Only about 20 different ones
• Alphabet example
Carbohydrates
 Sugars and starches…..Pack’em in!
 Carbohydrates
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Energy rich organic compounds such as sugars
and starches
Made of CHO
Cell wall cellulose and some cell membranes
Lipids
 Fats…..mmm tasty!
 Lipids
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Energy rich organic compounds such as fats,
oils and waxes.
Made of CHO
Handy for energy storage
Enzymes
 Enzymes…
 Proteins that speed up chemical reactions.
• Cracker Experiment
– allergies?
Nucleic Acids
 Nucleic Acids are very large molecules
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Made of C,O,H,N,P
 Contain the genetic instructions.
 Two types:
 DNA
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In chromatin, inside the nucleus
 RNA
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in the cytoplasm
And now……..
 About that Egg you’ve been messing with.
Function of the Cell Membrane
 Remember all that stuff I said about doors
and holes……..
• Corn Starch and Iodine demo
Function of the Cell Membrane
 The Cell Membrane is Selectively
Permeable
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Some substances can pass…Some, can not.
Function of the Cell Membrane
 There are 3 possible ways to get through the
cell membrane.
 1) Diffusion
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Moving from high concentration to low
concentration
• http://staff.jccc.net/PDECELL/cells/diffusion.html
• Food color
Function of the Cell Membrane
 There are 3 possible ways to get through the
cell membrane.
 2) Osmosis
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Diffusion of water through a selectively
permeable membrane
• Sliced Potato Demo
Function of the Cell Membrane
 There are 3 possible ways to get through the
cell membrane.
 3) Active Transport
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Moving materials through a cell membrane
using energy.