Chemistry of Life

Unit 2
Why do we study Chemistry in
relation to Biology?

 Because it is the foundation of biology

 Meaning it is the support, the explanation.
Composition of Matter

 What is Matter?
 Anything that occupy space and has mass.
 All living things is composed of matter.

 Composition of Matter
 Atom – the smallest particle of matter that retains its
chemical properties
 - about 10 nm in diameter
 Made up of a NUCLEUS and ELECTRONS
NUCLEUS
a dense core of an atom
Nucleus contains: PROTONS and NEUTRONS

PROTONS (p+) – is the positively charged subatomic particles

NEUTRONS (n) – is the uncharged subatomic particles

Atomic Number- refers to the number of protons in an atom

Atomic Mass- is equal to the sum of the masses of the protons

and neutrons of an atom
Electrons

 Orbits around the nucleus

 Is the negatively-charged subatomic particles

 The location of an electron is impossible to identify

 Electrons that move around the nucleus have different
energy levels:
 Near the nucleus – possess a low/lower energy level
 Farther from the nucleus – High/higher energy level
CLASSIFICATION OF MATTER
Lesson 2
Requirements of LIFE

 About 25 elements are essentials to life\

 Four essential elements that make 96% of the human
body: (CHON)
 Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen

 The remaining 4% elements are KCaPS

 Potassium, Calcium, Phosphorus, Sulfur

 Those elements are officially named by the International Union of

Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)
CHEMICAL BONDS
described as the attraction between atoms

 TYPES OF CHEMICAL
 COVALENT BOND
 IONIC BOND
 WEAK BOND

 COVALENT BOND- most common type of chemical bond

 Involves a pair or pairs of electrons that are shared by two or more atoms
 SINGLE COVALENT BOND – occur when only one electron is shared by two atoms
 DOUBLE COVALENT BOND- when two electrons is shared between two atoms.
 Ionic bond
formed when there is a complete transfer of electron from
one atom to another

These is electrostatic attraction between CATION (positively

charged ions) and ANION (negatively-charged ions)
 Electronegativity

 The measure of the ability of an atom to attract electrons from

other atoms.

 WEAK BONDS
 Are bonds that are easily broken, which means that they only
need a few kilocalories of energy to break.
 There are two important weak bonds in nature: HYDROGEN BOND
and VAN DER WAALS FORCES