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Introduction to Life and Biochemistry

Introduction to Life and Biochemistry. 8 Characteristics of Life. What makes something alive or living? Brainstorm your ideas now?. Here are the Answers. Characteristics of Life. 1. Living things are made up of units called cells, the basic building blocks of all living things.

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Introduction to Life and Biochemistry

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  1. Introduction to Life and Biochemistry

  2. 8 Characteristics of Life • What makes something alive or living? • Brainstorm your ideas now?

  3. Here are the Answers.

  4. Characteristics of Life 1. Living things are made up of units called cells, the basic building blocks of all living things

  5. Characteristics of Life 2. Living things reproduce.

  6. Characteristics of Life 3. Living things are based on universal genetic code. (DNA)

  7. Characteristics of Life 4. Living things grow and develop.

  8. Characteristics of Life 5. Living things obtain and use materials for energy. (Metabolism)

  9. Characteristics of Life 6. Living things respond to the environment.

  10. Characteristics of Life 7. Living things maintain a stable internal environment. Homeostasis

  11. Characteristics of Life 8. Taken as a group, living things evolve-change over time.

  12. Chemistry of LifeBiochemistry • Life depends on chemistry. • Chemical reactions keep you alive. • Living things are made of chemical compounds

  13. Elements • An element is a pure substance that consists entirely of one type of atom. • 100 or more elements are known. • Two dozen are commonly found in living organisms

  14. Waterthe single most abundant compound Properties of Water • Compound made of two or more elements • One molecule of water is made of 2 Hydrogen atoms and 1 Oxygen atom – H2O • Many substances can be dissolved in water. • Pure water is neutral on the pH scale -7

  15. Acids and Bases

  16. Importance of Acids and Bases • Water breaks down into ions that are negatively and positively charged. • The concentration of hydronium ions in a solution is known as acidity • Acids and bases are important in living things because most enzymes can do their job only at a certain level of acidity.

  17. pH Scale • A measurement system to indicate the concentration of H+ ions in a solution. • pH scale goes from 0 to 14 • pH stands for potential Hydrogen • Below 7 (0-6) is an acid. • Above 7 (8-14) is a base

  18. pH scale

  19. Some Properties of Acids • Taste sour • Corrode metals • Electrolytes- substance that produces an electrically conducting solution when dissolved in water. • React with bases to form a salt and water • pH is less than 7 • When a hydrogen ion is released, the solution becomes acidic.

  20. Some Properties of Bases • Taste bitter, chalky • Are electrolytes - substance that produces an electrically conducting solution when dissolved in water. • Feel soapy, slippery • React with acids to form salts and water • pH greater than 7 • When a hydroxide ion is released, the solution becomes basic

  21. ORGANIC VS. INORGANIC COMPOUNDS

  22. ORGANIC MUST CONTAIN HYDROGEN AND CARBON ALL LIVING THINGS HAVE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS 4 major compounds ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

  23. INORGANIC COMPOUNDS Inorganic Compounds • does not contain Carbon and Hydrogen together • Non-living • Water is an example – H2O

  24. Four Major Organic Compounds • Carbohydrates • Lipids • Nucleic Acids • Proteins

  25. Carbohydrates • Main source of energy for living things • Building Blocks-Simple Sugar – Glucose - Monosaccaride • Example of Complex sugar – Starch - Polysaccaride

  26. Lipids • Energy storage • Building Blocks- Fatty Acid and Glycerol • Part of cell membrane • Examples are fats, oils, waxes

  27. Nucleic Acids • Stores and transmits genetic information • Building Blocks- nucleotides • Examples are RNA and DNA

  28. Protein • Used to make bones, muscles, fight off disease • Building Blocks-amino acids • DNA stores instructions for arranging amino acids into proteins • Special proteins are called enzymes

  29. Chemical Reactions and Enzymes • Chemical Reactions changes one set of chemicals into another set of chemicals. • Chemical reactions always involve the breaking of bonds and the formation of new products.

  30. Metabolism • all chemical reactions involved in maintaining the living state of the cells and the organism

  31. Enzyme as a Catalyst • An Enzyme is a special protein that acts as a catalyst • A catalyst is a substance that speeds up chemical reactions that take place in cells. • Cells use enzymes to speed up chemical reactions that take place in cells

  32. Lock and Key Model • A substrate is the substance that the enzyme reacts with. • The enzyme binds with substrate. • When reactions is done, products are released and enzyme is free to start process again.

  33. Factors that Effect Function of Enzyme • Temperature • pH • When an enzyme’s shape is altered (changed), it is called denatured.

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