BIOCHEMISTRY:

atoms, elements, compounds and

isotopes
EXPLAIN OXIDATION / REDUCTION REACTIONS
(BIOCHEMISTRY)
[STEM_BIO11/12 -II-J-18]
How is chemistry related to
biology? Cite some examples.
23/07/2019 BIOCHEMISTRY REVIEW AND LECTURE 2
BIOCHEMISTRY may answer
some of the common questions
boggling us everyday.
A student placed a few ice cubes in a
drinking glass with water. A few minutes
later she noticed that some of the ice
cubes were fused together. Explain what
happened.
ETYMOLOGY…
What are the Radium (Ra)
etymology of Carbon (C)
some elements Hydrogen (H)
in the periodic Iron (Fe)
table? Oxygen (O)
Radium
(Ra) Colored images of the radioactive
emission of radium (Ra).

Latin, radius (ray)

Carbon
(C)
Latin, carbo (charcoal)
Hydrogen
(H)
Greek, hydro & genes (water
& generator)
Oxygen
(O)
Greek, oxy & genes (acid &
generator)
Iron (Fe)
Anglo-Saxon, iron or iren (holy
metal); Fe – Latin ferrum (iron)
DEFINE:
Matter
Element
Compound
Mass (relative mass)
Atom
Isotopes
Compound,
element or
mixture? Why?
T he manufacture of sulfuric acid (one cause of
acid rain in me ga cities that damages crops) can
be summarized by the equation:
2S(s) + 3O 2 (g) + 2 H 2 O(l) → 2 H 2 SO 4 (l)
Classify whether it is a element, compound or a mixture.
Tick one box in each line to show whether the formula in the table
below represent a compound, an element or a mixture.

Compound Element Mixture

2S(s)
2S(s) +
3O2(g)
3O2(g) + 2
H2O(l)
2H2SO4
Atoms
and subatomic particles
Particle properties
Mass
Particle Charge Mass (g) Location
(amu*)
1.6727 x Inside the
Proton +1 1.007316
10-24 nucleus
1.6750 x Inside the
Neutron 0 1.008701
10-24 nucleus
Outside
9.110 x
Electron -1 0.000549 the
10-28
nucleus
*amu = atomic mass units
SUBATOMIC PARTICLE VALUES
MASS NUMBER = # of p+ + # of n°

ATOMIC NUMBER = # of e- / p+ X Element

symbol

E.g.,

Cl
35
17
Monoatomic molecules
Exist as atoms at room temperature
and pressure, so for them the atom
and the molecule are the same.
E.g., noble gases: helium, neon,
argon, krypton, xenon, and radon.
Molecules that contain only 1 atom.
Isotopes
and radioisotopes that are
useful for living organisms:
H, Co, Ba, C, Ra
Isotopes
Atoms that have the same atomic
number but different mass
numbers; same number of protons
but different numbers of neutrons
Isotopes of hydrogen.
 How most elements
56Fe + n° → 57Fe +ᴕ become radioactive…
57Fe + n° → 58Fe + ᴕ
58Fe + n° → 59Fe + ᴕ

57Fe & 58Fe

are stable but 59Fe is
radioactive (undergoes β decay with
half-life of 45 days to 59Co + n° → 60Co
(radioactive) & β decays to 60Ni
HISTORY INTEGRATION:

Explain why C-14 (an

unstable isotope) is very
useful to historians?
LET’S
PRACTICE
Solve as fast as you can (by
pair) without a calculator.
Solve for the
number of e-, p+
1. C
and n° of the 2. N
following common
elements that
3. H
occur in organic 4. P
matter: 5. K
6. Ca
How is the study of biochemistry
necessary for understanding
biology?
23/07/2019 BIOCHEMISTRY REVIEW AND LECTURE 33
Apply.
What are the living organisms’ most
impor tant elements and compounds?
TEST IT!
½ CW individually.
Draw a He atom and label
its particles.
Look at the diagram of substances.
Which contain only 1 element?
Fill this table using a
periodic table.
ELEMENT SYMBOL MASS # p+ e- n°
Sodium Na 11
16 8 8 8
Neon 10 10 10
Ca 20 20
Which of the following atoms
are isotopes of each other?
1. C
12
6
2.4He2
3. C6
14

4.14N7
C.E. ABLER 2018 40
Look for these to prepare for
next meeting…
1.What are valence electrons?
2.How do we use the eight groups
of the periodic table to get them?
3.How do we write electronic
configuration using longhand and
shorthand notation methods?