Morgan Mitchell

January 26, 2022

Biology Notes: Matter, Atoms, and Molecules
 All matter consists of atoms, the smallest unites that retain all the properties of their
type of matter
 Atoms are usually bonded to each other to form molecules
o H2= is an atom because it has more than one molecule
o An atom is the smallest unit of matter is an atom
 An element is ta basic substance that can’t be broken down without changing its
properties
o Hydrogen, carbon, and gold
o The smallest amount of an element is an atom
 Individual elements combine to form compounds
 Reactants are transformed into products through chemical reactions
o Chemical reactions are written with the reactants on the left and the products
on the right
o Atomic Mass - The Number of Protons = The Number of Neutrons
o Protons and electrons are equal 17=17
o Reactants = Products
 FOUR OF THE 92 KNOWN ELEMENTS MAKE UP THE BULK OF LIVING CELLS
o Oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen
 Ionic Bonds transfer electrons, covalent Bonds share electrons, nonpolar covalent
bonds equally share electrons and polar covalent bonds unequally share electrons
 A hydrogen bond is fairly weak by itself, however one water molecule may participate
in several hydrogen bonds
o The resulting networks of hydrogen bonds a re strong enough to for liquid
water
o Many liquids can act as a solvent, to form a mixture called a solution
 Water is the most biologically important solvent
o Evaporative cooling is one way that living things can use to regrate
 Cohesion is the tendency of molecules to stick together
o Due to hydrogen bonding, water molecules have sarong cohesion and create
surface tension
 An aqueous solution is one that contains a substance dissolved in water
o In any aqueous solution some water molecules break apart into hydrogen ions
(H+) and hydroxide ions (OH-)
 The concentration of H+ ions ins an aqueous solution determines its pH
THE pH SCALE RUNS FROM ACIDIC (0) TO BASIC (14)
BASES HAVE A pH BETWEEN 7 and 14
 Carbon atoms can form long branching chains
o These chains are the skeletons for a wide variety of chemical compounds
 Molecules that contain carbon bonded to other elements are called
Organic Compounds
 Carbohydrates are a common source of dietary energy of important building blocks
 Glycogen consists if branched chains of glucose molecules
 Fats perform essential functions in the human body, including:
o Energy Storage
o Cushioning
o Insulation
o Membrane Function
o Hormone Regulation
 Cells are surrounded by membrane that regulates the passage of material in and out
 Cell Membranes are made by stacking two layers of molecule called a phospholipid
 The sex hormones, estrogen, and testosterone are steroids
 Which classes of organic molecules are more abundant?
o Carbohydrates
o Lipids (saturated, unsaturated including trans-fat)
o Proteins
 There are 20 kinds of amino acids
 A peptide bond joins amino acids
