A molecule is the smallest particle in a chemical element or 

compound that has the

chemical properties of that element or compound. Molecules are made up of atoms that
are held together by chemical bonds. These bonds form as a result of the sharing or
exchange of electrons among atoms. The atoms of certain elements readily bond with
other atoms to form molecules. Examples of such elements are oxygen and chlorine.
The atoms of some elements do not easily bond with other atoms. Examples are neon
and argon

Some molecules, notably certain proteins, contain hundreds or even thousands of

atoms that join together in chains that can attain considerable lengths. Liquids
containing such molecules sometimes behave strangely. For example, a liquid may
continue to flow out of a flask from which some of it has been poured, even after the
flask is returned to an upright position.

Molecules are always in motion. In solids and liquids, they are packed tightly together.
In a solid, the motion of the molecules can be likened to rapid vibration. In a liquid, the
molecules can move freely among each other, in a sort of slithering fashion. In a gas,
the density of molecules is generally less than in a liquid or solid of the same chemical
compound, and they move even more freely than in a liquid. For a specific compound in
a given state (solid, liquid, or gas), the speed of molecular motion increases as the
absolute temperature increases.
Living Matter has Several Characteristics
 Living matter is a
biogenic migration of atoms that occurs with breathing, eating, growth, and the multiplic
ation of organisms. Living matter is exemplified by autotrophic organisms (green plants 
and autotrophic microorganisms), heterotrophic organisms (plants without chlorophyll, al
l animals, and human beings), and mixotrophic organisms, which live on ready
made organic compounds, although they are also able to synthesize them.

In all living systems we can always find 4 basic elements: carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and
hydrogen. Carbon is the basic building unit contained in living matter. The percentage of
carbon in the mass of living matter is 19.4 %.

Any pet, family member, plant, bacteria can all be considered living matter.

➢ Structurally complicated yet highly organized

Organisms are organized in the microscopic level from atoms up to cells. The
matter is structured in an ordered way. Atoms are arranged into molecules, then into
macromolecules, which make up organelles, which work together to form cells. Beyond
this, cells are organized in higher levels to form entire multicellular organisms. Cells
together form tissues, which make up organs, which are part of organ systems, which
work together to form an entire organism. Of course, beyond this, organisms form
populations which make up parts of an ecosystem. All of Earth's ecosystems together
form the diverse environment that is Earth.

➢Living organisms extract, transform, and use energy from their environment,
usually in the form of either chemical nutrients or radiant energy from the sun.

Energy is a property of objects which can be transferred to other objects or

converted into different forms, but cannot be created or destroyed. Organisms use
energy to survive, grow, respond to stimuli, reproduce, and for every type of biological
process. The potential energy stored in molecules can be converted to chemical energy,
which can ultimately be converted to kinetic energy, enabling an organism to move.
 Carbohydrates are one of the major forms of energy for animals and plants.
Plants build carbohydrates using light energy from the sun (during the process of
photosynthesis), while animals eat plants or other animals to obtain carbohydrates.
Plants store carbohydrates in long polysaccharides chains called starch, while animals
store carbohydrates as the molecule glycogen. These large polysaccharides contain
many chemical bonds and therefore store a lot of chemical energy. When these
molecules are broken down during metabolism, the energy in the chemical bonds is
released and can be harnessed for cellular processes.

➢ Have the capacity for precise self-replication and self-assembly

➢ The molecules in living organisms conformed to all the laws of chemistry but
at the same time they interact with each other in accordance with another set of
principles referred to as the “Molecular Logic of Life”

The molecules of which living organisms are composed conform to all the familiar
laws of chemistry, but they also interact with each other in accordance with another set
of principles, which we shall refer to collectively as the molecular logic of life. These
principles do not involve new or as yet undiscovered physical laws or forces. Instead,
they are a set of relationships characterizing the nature, function, and interactions of
biomolecules.

➢ The molecular logic of life relates nature, function, and interaction of

biomolecules

➢ The basic goal of biochemistry, therefore, is to determine how these molecules

interact with each other to maintain and perpetuate life and ultimately concerned
with the wonder of life itself