Bio1151
Chapter
2
The Chemical Context of Life
Living organisms are subject to basic laws of physics and
. One example is the use of formic acid by
ants
to maintain "devil’s gardens".
The rainforest ant Myrmelachista schumanni nests in stands of Duroia trees called "devil's gardens". The ants kill all trees except its host plant by injecting formic acid into competing trees such as Cedrela. Continue
Matter consists of
chemical
in pure
form
and in combinations called
.
Electronshell diagrams of the first 18 elements in the periodic table. An element is a substance that cannot be broken down to other substances by chemical means. The first electron shell can contain up to 2 electrons; the 2nd and 3rd shells can contain up to 8 electrons.
Four
elements
make up 96% of living matter:
(C),
(H),
(O), and
(N).
Each element is made of a single kind of
. An
atom
is
made
of
,
, and
.
In a helium atom, the nucleus consists of 2 neutrons which have no electrical charge, and 2 protons which are positively charged. Two electrons, which are negatively charged, move around the nucleus. The atomic number of an element is the number of protons in the nucleus. The mass number (atomic mass) is the sum of protons plus neutrons.
Electrons occupy different
with different
energy
. The outermost, or
, shell contains
electrons.
Energy levels of an atom's electrons. Electrons exist only at fixed levels of potential energy, which are also called electron shells. The outermost shell is called the valence shell, and contains valence electrons, and most chemical reactions involve those electrons, since atoms are most stable with complete valence shells. .
A
bond
is the
of a pair of
electrons between different atoms of a
. These bonds are strong and stable.
Covalent Bond. In each hydrogen atom, the single electron is held in its orbital by its attraction to the proton in the nucleus. When two hydrogen atoms approach each other, the electron of each atom is also attracted to the proton. in the other nucleus. The two electrons become shared in a covalent bond, forming an H[2] molecule.
A
covalent
bond
is the sharing of two pairs of
valence
electrons.
Single and double covalent bonds. Hydrogen (H[2]). Two hydrogen atoms can form a single bond. Oxygen (O[2]). Two oxygen atoms share two pairs of electrons to form a double bond. Water (H[2]O). Two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom are joined by single covalent bonds to produce a molecule of water. Methane (CH[4]). Four hydrogen atoms can satisfy the valence of one carbon atom, forming methane.
Q: What kind of bonds form between these hydrogen atoms and carbon?
+ A: Single covalent bond.
Electronegativity is the attraction of an atom for
. In a
covalent bond the atoms have different
electronegativities
and share the
electrons
.
A water molecule is polar because oxygen is more electronegative than hydrogen, so there is a partial negative charge on the oxygen and a partial positive charge on the hydrogens. The unequal sharing of electrons results in a polar covalent bonds.
In an
bond one atom strips
away from other atoms, creating
atoms
called
.
Ionic
compounds are often called
, which may
form
.
A sodium chloride crystal (salt). The sodium ions (Na^+) and chloride ions (Cl^-) are held together by ionic bonds. The formula NaCl indicates that the ratio of Na^+ to Cl^- is 1:1.
Electronegativity can result in weak chemical bonds.
A
bond
forms from the attraction of charged regions of
molecules.
A hydrogen bond results from the attraction between the partial positive charge on the hydrogen atom of water and the partial negative charge on the nitrogen atom of ammonia.
interactions
form when transiently charged regions of molecules attract each other.
Bio1151
Chapter
3
Water and the Fitness of the Environment
is the biological medium here on
Earth.
Water
is a
molecule, and its numerous
bonds result in unique
properties.
among
water
molecules and
between water and
other
molecules.
High
heat
nearby air and ground
temperatures
and leads to
cooling of
wet
surfaces.
Solid
water is less
than liquid water and floats, allowing life under
frozen
surfaces.
Water is a versatile
and can dissolve
substances which are either
ionic
or
polar.
Substances too large to dissolve in water can
form
a
, such as in the
of a
cell.
Water can
dissociate
into H
+
(hydrogen) and OH
-
(hydroxide)
.
The
concentration
of these ions is measured on the
scale.
An
has a high concentration of H
+
ions, while a
has a low
concentration.
precipitation
is caused primarily by the mixing of water vapor and
and
oxides produced by the combustion of
fuels.
Fossil fuels (coal, petroleum, natural gas) are formed from buried remains of dead organisms when compressed in sediment over time. Humans have dug up these carbon fuels to burn as energy sources, releasing excess carbon into the atmosphere.