Anatomy & Physiology Ch.2: Chemical Level of Organization

Enzymes in Metabolism

• Enzymes play a crucial role in metabolism by catalyzing chemical reactions, increasing reaction rates, and allowing metabolic pathways to occur efficiently.

Importance of Functional Groups

• Functional groups in organic compounds are essential as they determine the chemical and physical properties of the molecule.

Nucleic Acids

• Nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are composed of nucleotides, which contain a sugar molecule, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.
• The structure of nucleic acids is a double helix, with sugar and phosphate molecules forming the backbone and nitrogenous bases pairing in the center.

Acids, Bases, and Salts

• Acids, bases, and salts play crucial physiological roles in body fluids, maintaining pH balance and regulating various bodily functions.
• Acids donate H+ ions, while bases accept H+ ions, and salts are formed through the neutralization of acids and bases.

High-Energy Compounds

• High-energy compounds, such as ATP and NADH, are molecules that store energy in the form of chemical bonds.
• The main function of high-energy compounds is to provide energy for various cellular processes, such as muscle contraction and protein synthesis.

Atomic Structure

• The science that deals with the structure of matter, including the structure of atoms and how atoms combine to form complex structures, is chemistry.
• The three subatomic particles are protons (positive charge), neutrons (no charge), and electrons (negative charge).
• An atom's chemical properties are determined by the number of protons in its atomic nucleus, and isotopes are based on the number of neutrons in the nucleus.

Atomic Reactivity

• The reactivity of an atom is determined by the number of electrons in its outermost shell, also known as the valence shell.
• The outermost shell of an atom can hold a maximum of eight electrons, and atoms tend to react to achieve a full outermost shell.

Atomic Mass and Mole

• The average of the different atomic masses and proportions of different isotopes is called the atomic mass.
• A mole is a unit of measurement that has a weight in grams equal to the atomic weight of the element.

Elements and Compounds

• The fundamental unit of all elements is the atom.
• Inorganic compounds do not contain carbon.
• The pH range for acidic substances is below 7.

Chemical Bonding

• The building blocks of proteins are amino acids, which are linked together through peptide bonds.
• A covalent bond is formed when atoms share electrons.
• The electron cloud is filled by electrons, which occupy the lowest available energy levels first.
• An element is a pure substance composed of atoms of one kind.
• Bonding in atoms is determined by the number of electrons in the outermost shell.
• The atom contains shells, or energy levels, that can hold a limited number of electrons.
• Radioactive nuclei are expressed as half-life, and decay through radioactive decay.