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BIOLOGY 3
LECTURE 1
ATTRIBUTES OF LIFE

Unifying feature of life:

1. Living organisms are made up of bioelements.

CHEMICAL PROPERTIES: ATOMS BASIC UNITS OF MATTER are made up of
Electron (-) , Proton (+), Neutron
Atomic number : number of charged protons
Atomic mass: weight of protons + neutrons (inside the nucleus)
Maximum no. of protons: 92
Maximum no. of neutrons: 146
ELEMENT: any substance that cannot be broken down to any other substance by
any ordinary chemical processes . There are 111 listed in the periodic table
including carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur.

Objective: to recognize the unifying features of

living things

RADIOACTIVE: unstable isotopes whose nucleus tend to break up into

particles with lower atomic numbers
IONS: atoms with an electrical charge due to excess electrons
ACIDS: substances that release H+
BASES: substances with excess OH- and receives excess H+
OXIDATION: loss of electron or combination of compound with
oxygen, producing heat and energy;
REDUCTION: gain of electron

ISOTOPES atoms with the same number of protons but different number of
neutrons
Eg. C12 = 6P, 6N, 6E; C13 = 6P, 7N, 6E ; C14= 6P, 8N, 6E

These elements combine to form the biomolecules:

carbohydrates (CHO) , lipids (CHO), protein (CHON), nucleic
acids.
Carbon skeleton of biomolecules:
*sugar
*DNA
*amino acids/ protein
*phospholipids
*ATP

REDOX reactions: transfer of electrons among atoms

Ph: the basis of measurement of acidity of substances
Ph 1 to 6.99 acidic; Ph 7 neutral; Ph 7.1 to 14 basic

I. CARBOHYDRATES
1. MONOSACCHARIDES
a. Pentoses(5-C): ribose and deoxyribose
b. Hexoses (6-C):
i. Glucose - dextrose or grape sugar
ii. Galactose sugar in milk
iii. Fructose fruit sugar or levulose

optical
isomers

OH
grou
p

2. DISSACCHARIDES
a. Maltose (malt sugar) = glucose + glucose
b. Lactose (milk sugar) = glucose + galactose
c. Sucrose (cane or beet sugar) = glucose + fructose
3. POLYSACCHARIDES
a. Starch found in plants
b. Cellulose in the plant cell wall
c. Glycogen energy source of animals

geometric
isomers

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Starch - found in most plants

+

Chemistry of lipids:

Formation of polypeptides
- condensation reactions:
two or more amino acids joined together

a)

The primary structure of a protein is the sequence of amino acids

found in its polypeptide chain. This sequence determines its
properties and shape.

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NUCLEIC ACIDS: DNA/RNA

The Prism of Sennacherib

- about 700 b.c.

Single DNA molecule E.

coli

- Assyrian language

- 10 million characters

- 20,000 character

- 10 -10g

- 50kg

2. Life is dependent on water.

Living things have fluids mad up of 90% water and 10% solutes
(organic and inorganic).
Eg. Cell cytoplasm, Vertebrate blood, Plant xylem sap

Thymine

Cytosine

Biochemical reactions occur in the presence of water (the universal

solvent).
Photosynthesis: CO 2 + C6 H12 O6 + H2O + O2

Uracil

WATER: the cradle of life; universal solvent;

75% of the earths surface,
67% to 70% of the human body;
90% of the plant cell
it has great fluidity that favors transport and
dissociation of materials (electrolytes)
its chemistry is controlled by its polarity with O- having
greater negativity with H+
Physical properties: has high surface tension
high specific heat absorbs heat
ice formation can solidify
cohesion stick together
adhesion stick to surfaces

3. Life occurs in the presence of coupled

cycling of nutrients.
Bioelements cycle from organic and inorganic states (and
vice versa).
Bioelements involved in the biogeochemical cycling:
*carbon cycle
*sulfur cycle
*nitrogen cycle
*hydrogen- oxygen cycle
*phosphate

nutrient_cycling

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Components of the Biosphere

4. Life occurs in the presence of a flow of energy.

Energy flow is unidirectional
Radiant energy
Chemical energy
Heat energy
Sun- the ultimate source of energy of the biosphere.
(PHOTOSYNTHESIS)

The
Energy
Flow

Chemical energy moves within the biosphere. (ASSIMILATION)

Heat energy is lost. (RESPIRATION)

5. Life is orderly.
Large amounts of energy input is needed to maintain
orderliness (highly ordered state) of life.
Life is described as progression towards the increasing
complexity.
Through time:
Unicellular
multicellular
Division of labor (compartmentalization)
Prokaryote (uncompartmentalized
eukaryote
compartmentalized)- presence of organelles
Individuals----populations-----species-----higher taxa-----populations-------communities

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6. Life adjusts to a changing environment.

LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION:

Ecosystem is where the abiotic and biotic components

interact in an exchange of matter & energy

PROTONS
NEUTRONS
ELECTRONS
ATOMS

BIOSPHERE

MOLECULES

BIOMES

SIMPLE
COMPOUNDS

ECOSYSTEMS

COMPLEX
ORGANIC
COMPOUNDS

COMMUNITIES

BIOMOLECULES

POPULATIONS

ORGANELLES

ORGANISMS

CELLS

ORGAN SYSTEMS

TISSUES

ORGANS
Copyright The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

A concept map of ecosystem

components & relationships

Ecosystem

(CCS 2003)

Climate change in Asia

is composed of
Biotic
(living)
components

Abiotic
(nonliving)
components

is
Always
dispersed or
degraded
lost as
Heat
radiated to
space

carry
out

modify

consist of

Energy

made up of

creates

Matter

Habitat

shapes

(place to live)

made up of

Niche
(way to live)

carry out

Populations

made up of

may be

is

Communities

Species

Always
eventually
recycled

Decomposers

results in

Consumers

broken
down by
heat released

Producers

eaten by

Scope: 16 countries from India to Phils. (1.6 B people)

Water: Melting of Himalayan glaciers, causing floods
Agriculture: Decline in rice yields due to increased
temperature
Coastal Zones: Rising sea levels by 1 meter
Health: Spread of malaria, dengue fever, schistosomiasis
Adaptations: Several million people will be displaced; new
crops will be introduced to replace faltering rice
production.
Frequent episodes of El Nino and La Nina

used to make new organic compounds

except that captured for photosynthesis by