Ch. 1 - The Fundamental Concepts of Life
Is a single atom a system? Why or why not?
Yes, because parts are interacting with one another.
-neutrons, protons, electrons, etc.
The average number of protons plus neutrons
What is ATOMIC MASS?
List 3 emergent properties of bodies of water
1. Regulates temperature
2. Cohesiveness
3. Most versatile 'solvent'
Why is carbon considered the backbone of life?
They form 'carbon skeletons' because of how many ways they can bond
Bonding of the SAME MOLECULE type
What is COHESION?
What is Prof. Mahrt referring to when he talks about, "The Game of Life?"
The competition between all living things THAT IS SURVIVAL. The goal is immortality.
How many orbitals make up the second shell of an atom?
4
Describe the dynamics (change in) of hydrogen bonds in liquid water
Constantly breaking and reforming
List the 4 ways that carbon skeletons differ from one another
1. Length
2. Degree of branching
3. Rings
4. Location/presence of double bonds
Chemistry of carbon
What is ORGANIC CHEMISTRY?
What set of properties do all living systems exhibit? Describe them.
1. Homeostasis- Ability to keep conditions inside a living organism different from outside conditions
2. Growth- The ability of an organism to increase in size
3. Reproduction- The ability of an organism to reproduce itself in whole or in part
4. Heredity- Offspring resemble their parents more than other individuals (because they share a large number of replicator sequences!)
Suppose the 2nd shell of an atom is the valence shell. How many electrons are required to complete the valence shell?
8; 10 total
List 3 reasons why water is important for biological systems
1. Most cells are SURROUNDED by water
2. Cells ARE 70-95% water
3. EMERGENT PROPERTIES in (mostly bodies) of water allow life to exist
When do 2 carbon atoms form a flattened shape?
When double-bonded together
How does an 'aqueous solution' differ from other types of solutions?
In an aqueous solution, H20 is the solvent.
How can replicator sequences differ from one another?
1. A, G, C, U, in different orders
2. They can bond with each other in a tangled, 3D mess.
What is the energy level for the valence shell of 'Al - Aluminum'?
How many electrons in the valence shell?
3 electrons in the 3rd energy level
What kind of substances are hydrophobic?
Nonpolar molecules
-ex: hydrocarbons
How do 'cis' and 'trans' isomers differ?
cis- Same on both sides of double bond
trans- Differ on both sides of double bond
Any substance that dissolves in water to yield H+ ions and thus increase [H+] is termed...
What is an ACID?
What is the metabolism? What is its function?
1. Two or more series of chemical reactions that are linked together to form a complex network
2. Import food, provide energy, export waste, and provide raw materials for building blocks and phospholipids
Which elements make up 98% of all living matter?
Out of the 6, which 4 are MOST important?
CHNOPS
carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen... phosphorus and sulfur.
Why are ionic compounds hydrophilic (why do they dissolve well in water)?
Partial positive and negative charges of H2O are attracted to full positive charges on NA+ and full negative charges on Cl-
What are 'enantiomers'? How do they differ from 'structural' and 'geometric isomers'?
Enantiomers are mirror images.
Structural isomers differ in "what's bonded to what".
Geometric isomers have the same covalent (bond) arrangements, but differ in spatial arrangements.
An aqueous solution has a pH = 9. Calculate [H+] and [OH-], and determine whether the solution is basic or acidic
[H+] = 10 to the neg. 9th power
[OH-] = 10 to the neg. 5th power
Solution is BASIC