Chemistry of Living Things

1. Chemistry of Living Things Rachel Hillard RN

2. Objectives: Item 1 Anatomy and Physiology Relate the importance of chemistry and biochemistry to health care Explain the importance of water to our body Describe the four main groups of organic compounds: Carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and nucleic acids Define matter and energy Explain the structure of an atom, element, and a compound Item 2 Item 3 Item 4 Item 5

3. Objectives: Item 6 Anatomy and Physiology Explain the difference between the DNA molecule and the RNA molecule Define the key words that relate to this chapter Explain the difference between an acid, base, and salt Describe why homeostasis is necessary for good health Item 7 Item 8 Item 9

4. Chemistry • Is the study of the structure of matter and the composition of substances, their properties, and their chemical reactions. • Many chemical reactions in the human body • Digestion • Urine • Manufacture of proteins Biochemistry: The study of the Chemical reactions of living Things. Chemical reactions necessary to sustain life occur in the cells

5. Matter • Has three forms: • Solid • Liquid • Gas • Anything that has weight (mass) and occupies space

6. Matter is neither created nor destroyed • Changes form through physical or chemical means • Physical change:chewing a piece of food • Chemical change: when chemicals change its composition • Energy: the ability to do work or to put matter into motion. • Potential • Kinetic

7. Atoms • Smallest piece of an element • Protons • (+) positive electric charge • Neutrons • Electrons • (-) negative electric charge • Protons and neutrons make up the nucleus of the atom • Electrons make up the electron shell • # of protons and electrons are =

8. Atoms • Atoms can combine or share electrons for a chemical bond • Positive charge: when one atom gives up an electron • Isotopes: have the same # of protons but a different number of neutrons • Radioactive isotopes: unstable atoms start to decay

9. Radioactive Isotopes • Nuclear medicine • Can be used to study structure and function of particular tissues • Most common treatment with • Thyroid • Prostate CA • CA of the bone pain

10. Medical Imaging • Non-invasive techniques • CAT or CT scan: (computed Axial Tomography) • MRI: (magnetic resonance Imaging) • PET: (Positron Emission Tomography) • Sonography or ultrasound • Bone, Liver, Brain, and Spleen Scan

11. Elements • Group of like atoms • A form of substance that can be neither created nor destroyed by ordinary means. • Can exist in more than one phase in our bodies • Bone- calcium • Air- oxygen • Water- hydrogen and oxygen • 92 elements found naturally in the world • Additional elements have been man-made • Each has a chemical symbol or abbreviation

12. Compounds • Various elements combine in a definite proportion by wt. • Has different characteristics or properties depending on its elements • Represented by formulas • H2O • NaCl • HCl • NaHCo3 • NaOH • C6H12O6

13. Living Organism • Unicellular • Multicellular • Take 20 essential elements • Organic compounds: have carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen • All living things have the element carbon

14. Molecules • Smallest unit of a compound that still has the properties of the compound and the capability to lead it’s own stable existence • H2O- Water can be broken down into smaller and smaller droplets. • H20 is the smallest unit and still be a molecule

15. Ions and Electrolytes • Ion- a positive or negatively charged particle • When atom gives up a electron (+) • When atom picks up a electron (-) • Electrolytes- when compounds are in solution and act as if they have broken into individual pieces (ions) • Na+ • Cl-

16. Compounds • Inorganic- does not contain carbon (C) • Exceptions CO2, CaCO3 • Water is the most important inorganic compound to living organisms • Organic- found in living things and the products they make • Are combined with hydrogen and other elements • > 100,000 known organic compounds • 4 main types- carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acid

17. Carbohydrates • C, H, O • Have twice as many hydrogen as oxygen and carbon atoms • Three Groups: • Monosaccharides • Disaccharides • Polysaccharides

18. Monosaccharide’s • Greek words “mono” “sakcharon” • Can not be broken down any further • Types of Monosaccharides • Glucose- main source of energy for cells • Stored in the liver and muscle cells as Glycogen • Fructose- sweetest (fruit and honey) • Galactose- Helps to make breast milk • Ribose- RNA • Deoxyribose- DNA

19. Disaccharides • Double sugar • Formed by dehydration synthesis • Examples: • Sucrose (table sugar) • Maltose (malt sugar) • Lactose (milk Sugar) Broken down by digestion (hydrolysis)

20. Polysaccharides • One chainlike molecule • Starch • Cellulose • Glycogen • Broken down to disaccharides then to monosaccharide’s • Found in grain root vegetables “potatoes” • Cellulose is the main structural component of plant tissue

21. Lipids • C, H, O • Examples: • Fats • Phospholipids • Steroids

22. Proteins • C, H, O, N, P, SULFUR • Amino acids • 22 different amino acids • Uses: • Found in every part of a living cell • Outer protein coat of viruses • Binding and structural components • (fingernails, hair, cartilage, ligaments, tendons, muscle)

23. Enzymes • Control various chemical reactions in a cell • Provide energy for the cell • Assist in making of new cell parts • Control almost every process in a cell • Organic catalysts • Affects the rate or speed of a chemical reaction without being changed • Enzymes can be used over and over • Made up of all protein or part protein • (apoenzyme) • (coenzyme)

24. Nucleic Acids • C, O, H, N, P • Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) • Ribonucleic acid (RNA) • Largest organic molecules • Nucleotides

25. DNA • Double-stranded molecule • Double helix • Deoxyribose and phosphate • Heredity • 46 (23 pairs) of chromosomes • Passes genetic information from one generation to the next

26. RNA • Ribose and phosphate group • Single stranded • Three types • m-RNA (messenger) • t-RNA (transfer) • r-RNA (ribosomal) • r-RNA helps in the attachment of m-RNA to the ribosome

27. Acids • Is a substance that when dissolved in water will ionize into + charged hydrogen ions (H+) and – charged ions of some other element. • Taste sour • Blue Litmus pater is used to test acidity

28. Bases or alkali • Substance that when dissolved in water ionized into – charged hydroxide (OH-) ions and positively charged ions of a metal • Taste bitter and feel slippery between the fingers • Red Litmus paper to test for base

29. salt • Is when an acid and a base are combined • Neutralization or exchange reaction

30. pH Scale • Measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution • 0-14 • 7= has same # of hydrogen and hydroxide ions • 0-6.9= acidic solution • 7.1- 14.0= basic or alkaline

31. Homeostasis • Living cells are nearly neutral • Optimum cell function • Buffer- compound sodium bicarbonate help to maintain constant pH value • Extracellular fluid- bathes the cell and transports nutrients • Interstitial fluid- (blood, lymph, and fluid between tissue) • Intracellular fluid- fluid within the cell