Biology 1 Topic 3A- Life Structure,

Function and Control (Chemistry of Life

and Cell)

Topic 3A- Life Structure, Function and

Control (Chemistry of Life and Cell)
A. The Chemistry of Life

The Chemistry of Life

Living organisms obey chemical and physical laws
Organisms are composed of matter
Matter is made up of elements

B. The Cell as the Basic Unit of Life

C. Prokaryotic vs Eukaryotic Cells

Compound is a substance consisting of two or more

different elements combined in a fixed ratio
Atom is the smallest unit of matter
Molecule is the union of two or more atoms

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25 of the 92 natural elements are known to be

essential to life.
carbon (C), oxygen (0), hydrogen(H), and
nitrogen (N)-make up 96% of living matter.
Phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), calcium (Ca),
potassium (K), and a few other elements account
for most of the remaining 4% of an organism's
weight.

The Chemistry of Life

Chemistry of life is special
based on carbon compounds (organic chemistry)
70% water
depends largely on chemical reactions in aqueous solution
enormously complex
Cells contain small carbon-containing molecules, most of the carbon
atoms are incorporated into polymeric molecules.
Macromolecules enable cells and organisms to grow and reproduce

Atom

The smallest unit of an element, consisting of at least one

proton and (for all elements except hydrogen) one or more
neutrons in a dense central nucleus, surrounded by one or
more shells of electrons.
In electrically neutral atoms, the number of protons equals the
number of electrons.

Comparison of covalent and ionic bonds.

An ionic bond is formed when electrons are transferred from
one atom to the other. A covalent bond is formed when
electrons are shared between atoms

Atoms remain intact in chemical reactions except for the

removal, transfer, or exchange of certain electrons.
Molecule: cluster of atoms held together by covalent bonds

Biology 1 Topic 3A- Life Structure,

Function and Control (Chemistry of Life
and Cell)

Covalent and Noncovalent Chemical Bonds

STRENGTH (kcal/mole)
BOND TYPE

LENGTH (nm)

IN VACUUM

IN WATER

Covalent

0.15

90

90

ionic

0.25

80

hydrogen

0.30

0.1

0.1

Noncovalent:

van der Waals 0.35

attraction
(per atom)

Hydrogen bond- a chemical bond formed between an electropositive atom

(typically hydrogen) and a strongly electronegative atom, such as oxygen or
nitrogen. Hydrogen bonds are responsible for the bonding of water molecules in
liquid and solid states, and are weaker than covalent and ionic bonds.

Making and breaking of covalent bonds are violent events and in

living cells they are catalyzed by enzymes.
Noncovalent bonds as a rule are much weaker; important in
situations where molecules have to associate and dissociate
readily to carry out their functions.
Polar covalent bonds are extremely important in biology because
they create permanent dipoles that allow molecules to interact
through electrical forces.

van der Waals force-a weak force of attraction between electrically neutral
molecules that collide with or pass very close to each other. The attraction is
much weaker than a chemical bond.

Molecule
Covalent

-a group of two or more atoms

linked together by sharing electrons
in a chemical bond.
-molecules are the fundamental
components of chemical
compounds and are the smallest
part of a compound that can
participate in a chemical reaction.

Noncovalent:

ionic
hydrogen
van der Waals
attraction
(per atom)

Hydrogen bond
-a chemical bond formed between an
electropositive atom (typically
hydrogen) and a strongly
electronegative atom, such as oxygen
or nitrogen.
-are responsible for the bonding of
water molecules in liquid and solid
states, and are weaker than covalent
and ionic bonds.

Four emergent properties of water

contribute to Earths fitness for life
Cohesion
Ability to moderate temperature
Expansion upon freezing
Versatility as a solvent

Four emergent properties of water

contribute to Earths fitness for life

Cohesion -the force of attraction

that holds molecules of a given
substance together.

Cohesion
Ability to moderate temperature
Expansion upon freezing
Versatility as a solvent

Biology 1 Topic 3A- Life Structure,

Function and Control (Chemistry of Life
and Cell)

Organic Molecules

The four main families of small organic

molecules in cells.
These small molecules form the monomeric
building blocks, or subunits, for most of the
macromolecules and other assemblies of the
cell. Some, like the sugars and the fatty acids,
are also energy sources.

Fatty acid
-is composed of a hydrophobic hydrocarbon chain to which is attached a hydrophilic
carboxylic acid group.
-Palmitic acid is shown here. Different fatty acids have different hydrocarbon tails. (A)
Structural formula. The carboxylic acid group is shown in its ionized form. (B) Ball-and-stick
model. (C) Space-filling model.

A small part of a protein molecule.

*peptide bonds,
*N-terminus, terminates in an amino group, and the other, the C-terminus, in a
carboxyl group.

The reaction of two monosaccharides to form a disaccharide.

This common type of covalent bond between two sugar molecules is
known as a glycosidic bond

Phospholipid structure and the orientation of phospholipids in

membranes.
Lipid bilayers are the basis for cell membranes.

The 20 amino acids found in proteins.

Both three-letter and one-letter
abbreviations are listed. As shown, there
are equal numbers of polar and nonpolar
side chains.

Biology 1 Topic 3A- Life Structure,

Function and Control (Chemistry of Life
and Cell)

Three families of macromolecules. Each is a

polymer formed from small molecules (called
monomers, or subunits) linked together by
covalent bonds.

A small part of one chain of a

deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecule.

Cells are the structural and functional units of life

Cells are the structural

and functional units
of life

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Cells are the level at which the properties of life

emerge.
A cell can

regulate its internal environment,

take in and use energy,
respond to its environment,
develop and maintain its complex organization, and
give rise to new cells.

2012 Pearson Education, Inc.

Cells are the structural and functional units of life

Cells are the structural and functional units of life

All cells

Cells illustrate another theme in biology: the

correlation of structure and function.
Structure is related to function at all levels of
biological organization.

are enclosed by a membrane that regulates the

passage of materials between the cell and its
surroundings and
use DNA as their genetic information.

2012 Pearson Education, Inc.

2012 Pearson Education, Inc.

Biology 1 Topic 3A- Life Structure,

Function and Control (Chemistry of Life
and Cell)

Cells are the structural and functional units of life

Eukaryotic cell

DNA
(no nucleus)

Prokaryotic
cell

Membrane

There are two basic types of cells.

1. Prokaryotic cells
were the first to evolve,
are simpler, and
are usually smaller than eukaryotic cells.

Organelles

2. Eukaryotic cells
Nucleus
(membraneenclosed)

contain membrane-enclosed organelles, including a

nucleus containing DNA, and
are found in plants, animals, and fungi.

DNA (throughout
nucleus)

2012 Pearson Education, Inc.

Prokaryotic Cell

The Cell Theory

Eukaryotic Cell

The Cell as the Basic Unit of Life

Modern tenets of the cell theory

1. All known living things are made up of cells.
2.The cell is structural & functional unit of all living things.
3. All cells come from pre-existing cells by division.
(Spontaneous Generation does not occur).
4. Cells contain hereditary information that is passed
from cell to cell during cell division.
5. All cells are basically the same in chemical
composition.
6. All energy flow (metabolism & biochemistry) of life
occurs within cells.

http://biology.clc.uc.edu/graphics/bio104/cell.jpg

Biology 1 Topic 3A- Life Structure,

Function and Control (Chemistry of Life
and Cell)

The Cell as the Basic Unit of Life

The Cell as the Basic Unit of Life

Characteristics of a cell:

Characteristics of a cell:

All cells are surrounded by a plasma membrane.

All cells have a semi-fluid substance within the

membrane called the cytosol.

The Cell as the Basic Unit of Life

The Cell as the Basic Unit of Life

Characteristics of a cell:

Characteristics of a cell:

All cells contain chromosomes which have genes in

the form of DNA.

Prokaryotes vs Eukaryotes
domains Bacteria and Archaea prokaryotic cells
domain Eukarya (protists, fungi, animals, and plants)
eukaryotic cells

All cells have ribosomes, tiny organelles that make

proteins using the instructions contained in genes.

Prokaryotes vs Eukaryotes
Basic features of all cells:
Plasma membrane
Semifluid substance called the cytosol
Chromosomes (carry genes)
Ribosomes (make proteins)

Biology 1 Topic 3A- Life Structure,

Function and Control (Chemistry of Life
and Cell)

Prokaryotic vs Eukaryotic Cells

Prokaryotic vs Eukaryotic Cells

Pili
Nucleoid
Ribosomes

Bacterial
chromosome

Plasma
membrane
Cell wall
Capsule

Video

Flagella

A typical
rod-shaped
bacterium

Prokaryotes vs Eukaryotes
Prokaryotic cells have no nucleus
In a prokaryotic cell, DNA is in an unbound region
called the nucleoid
Prokaryotic cells lack membrane-bound organelles

Prokaryotic vs Eukaryotic Cells

Nucleolus

Prokaryote

Eukaryote

DNA in nucleoid

DNA in nucleus

NO membranebound organelles

WITH membranebound organelles

1-10 microns in
diameter

10-100 microns in
diameter

Ex.
Bacteria,
mycoplasmas

Ex.
Protozoa, plants,
animals, fungi

http://www.fas.org/irp/imint/docs/rst/Sect20/celltypes.jpg

Parts of a Cell and Their Functions