Unit 1: Intro to Life & Chemistry of Life

1.1 The Study of Life

• Biology is the scientific study of

• An organism is an individual .

• Organisms share certain characteristics:

– All are made of .
– All need energy for .
– All to their environment.
– All have for and .

1.2 The Scientific Process

• Science is a way of thinking, , and gathering .

• There is no single “scientific method” but all scientific investigations have common
stages:
1) Asking
2) Doing .
3) Forming
4) Confirming predictions with
5) Collecting and analyzing .
6) Drawing .

• Designing an experiment
– Experiments require two groups:
1) group
– the group; all conditions are kept the same.
2) group
– the group; all conditions are kept the same
EXCEPT the (or the being tested)

Example: How does salt affect plant growth?

Control group =
Experimental group =
Variable =

• Two types of variables

1) variable
– a condition that is .
2) variable
a change of condition caused by the .
3) Besides the variables, all other conditions have to stay the same = .
2.1 Atoms, Ions, and Molecules

• Living things consist of _________ of different ___________________.

– An _______________ is the smallest basic unit of ______________.
– An _______________ is one type of ________________.
– _____ elements make up 99% of all living things:
_____________________________________________________________________

• An atom is made up of 3 subatomic particles:

Type Symbol Charge Mass Location

Proton
Neutron
Electron

(amu = ______________________)

• Periodic Table
– Elements are organized by the number of ______________________.
– Rows = ______________; represent the number of ________________________.
– Columns = ___________________; represent the number of _________________.
(Valence electrons = electrons on the ________________________________)

– Each element is represented by __________________ and

_____________________.

– Lithium (Li) = # of p+ = _____; # of e- = ______; # of n0 = _______

– Some more practice:

• Isotopes
– Atoms with same number of ____________, but different number of
_______________.
– Most elements have several _________________.
– Isotopes are named by their _______________________ (# of p+ + # of n0)
– Examples: C-12 = ___ p+, ____ n0, ____ e-
C-13 = ___ p+, ____ n0, ____ e-
C-14 = ___ p+, ____ n0, ____ e-

How to draw an atom?

You can draw an atom by showing how ______________ are arranged in each
__________________________.
Electrons move around the energy levels (aka _____________________________
or electron orbitals) outside the _______________ rapidly to form an
______________________.
– The maximum number of electrons each energy level can hold is:
1st energy level holds ______ electrons
2nd energy level holds ______ electrons
3rd energy level holds ______electrons

Rules of electron placement when drawing an atom

– Fill e- starting from the level ______________________.
– e- like to be in________, but fill ___________e- first before pairing them up.
– __________ rule = an atom in ______ energy level always likes to have
_______ on the outermost energy level.
– When ___________ form between two atoms, only the ____________________
from the two atoms pair up.
– Draw the following atoms: carbon, oxygen, nitrogen

Molecules, Compounds, Ions

– A molecule is made of two or more _____________ bonded together (may be
_______ or _______________) ex: ___________________
– A compound is a _____________________ in which elements are chemically
bonded in a certain __________. ex: _________________
– An ion is a __________________ (+ or -)
– Some atoms are more __________ as ions when they _________ or __________
one or more electrons.
 Example 1: Group ____ elements tend to ________ 1e- and form ______ ions.
Draw a sodium ion:

 Example 2: Group ____ elements tend to _________ 1e- and form _______ ions.
Draw a chlorine ion:
Types of Bonds
- Bond = the _________ that holds two ________ together.

1) ___________ bonds form between ____________ charged ions.

Ex: __________________________

2) ____________ bonds form when atoms ____________ a pair of ____________.

Ex: ________________________

2.2 Properties of Water

• Water’s unique properties allow life to exist on Earth.

– Water is a _______________ molecule.
– Polar molecules have two ____________________ regions (____________ of
charges).
– ______________ bonds form between slightly ___________ ___________ atoms
and slightly ____________ ____________ atoms.
– Draw a water molecule (indicate +/- )

– Draw 3 water molecules bonded together (indicate +/- )

• ______________ bonds are responsible for three important properties of water.

1) _____________________
- water absorbs _________and moderates ______________ on Earth
2) _____________________
- _____________ bonding between __________ molecules makes H2O “____________”
- produces ______________________ (skin on water)
3) ______________________
- ________________ bonding between H2O molecules and _____________________
- helps ___________ transport water when water molecules stick to the ____________
__________________ that carry water

• Many compounds dissolve in water.

– _____________ dissolves ______________ forming a ______________.
– ______________ (+/-) makes water a good ____________.
– Polar H2O molecules can surround both _____ & ______ ions.

• Some compounds form ___________ or ___________ when dissolved in water.

– An acid _____________ ________________ when it dissolves in water.
 __________ H+ concentration
 pH __________________
– A base ______________ ________________ from a solution.
 _________ H+ concentration
 pH __________________
– A ____________solution has a pH of _____.
2.3 Carbon-based molecules

• Carbon-based molecules are the foundation of life.

– Carbon-based molecules are called ___________ molecules or ___________________

(macro- = __________)
– Carbons are bonded together to form the “_________________”.
– Four major groups:
1) _____________ 2) _____________ 3) ______________ 4)
__________________
– Many macromolecules are made of many small __________________ bonded
together.
– _______________ are the individual subunits.
– _______________ are made of many monomers.

• Condensation reaction (__________________________________)

– ______________________ are linked together by condensation reactions
• a molecule of ______________ is ___________________.

• Hydrolysis
– ______________________ are broken down into individual _______________ by
hydrolysis.
• a molecule of ______________ is ___________________.
• Carbohydrates
– Made of _______________; ratio is _____________ (ex: _______________)
– Function = provide ________________________
– Monomers (simple sugar) = ___________________ (ex: _______________)
– Polymers (complex sugar) =
 _________________ are _________ monosaccharides linked together
(ex: __________).

 __________________ are made of ___________ monosaccharides

(ex: ____________________________________________).
 __________________ is where _______________ store food.
 __________________ is what makes up __________________________.

Lipids
– Made of ___________________
– Function = provide ______________________; make up
______________________;
used to _______________________
– Monomers = ___________________________________
– Polymers = ____________________________________t
– Fats and oils contain _________________ bonded to _____________.
(ex: __________________)
– Draw a triglyceride:
Fats and oils have different types of __________________.
___________________ fatty acids (bad!)
___________________ fatty acids (good!)

- Phospholipids make up the ______________________.

 They are made of a __________________ and ______________________.
 Draw a phospholipid:

• Nucleic Acids
– Made of _______________________
– Function = ________________________________
– Monomers = ___________________
– Polymers = ____________________
– Nucleotides are linked together in a specific order to ___________________________.
– Nucleotides are made of _________________________________________________.
– Draw a nucleotide:

– DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) _______________________________.

– RNA (Ribonucleic acid) ___________________________________.

Proteins
– Made of ______________________
– Function = _____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
– Monomers = ________________________
– Draw an amino acid:
– Polymers = __________________________________________________________
– _______________ different amino acids are used to ___________________________
in organisms.
– Amino acids differ in _______________, or ________________.
– Amino acids are linked by _______________________.

• Proteins are made of specific _________________________________.

– Order of the amino acids is determined by ____________________________________
________________________________.
– Properties of amino acids cause protein to _________________________ to do its
specific function.
– _________________ = ______________________!!

2.5 Enzymes

All chemical reactions in living organisms require ______________ to work.

– Building molecules (______________________)
– Breaking down molecules (_______________________)

Enzymes are _____________ that act as _______________ for chemical reactions in

living things
– Catalysts are substances that ____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

– Catalysts are ______________________________. (recyclable)

– Ex: ___________________________ speed up digestion of food
– Enzymes are very ________________.
– An enzyme’s _______________ allows only ____________________ to bind to the
enzyme.
 _________________ = what enzyme acts on
 _______________________ = where substrate and enzyme bind
 enzyme – substrate pairs
 amylase breaks down ___________________
 lactase breaks down ____________________
 lipase breaks down _____________________
 protease breaks down ___________________
 DNA polymerase builds __________________

• _________________________ = illustrate how enzymes function

1) ______________ (key) exactly fit the _________________ of ________________ (lock).

2) Substrates are ___________________ (or _________________) and bonds are
_____________________.
3) A new _______________ is formed and released.

• Enzymes function best in a small range of conditions.

– Factors that can affect enzyme activities:
 ______________________________________________________
– Enzymes can __________________ in extreme temperature and pH (shape and
function are _________________________!!)
– _______________ = _________________!!