BIO-103: BIOLOGY 1

Chemistry of Life

LECTURE: 05-06

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 Life depends on chemistry!
• Just as buildings are made from bricks, steel, glass,
and wood, living things are made from chemical
compounds

• When we eat food or inhale oxygen, your body uses

these materials by chemical reactions that keep us
alive

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 Chemistry of Life

Life
 Terminologies: To understand chemistry of life!
• Atom: Particle that is a fundamental building block of matter
• Nucleus: Core of an atom; occupied by protons and neutrons.
• Proton: Positively charged subatomic particle that is present in the
atomic nucleus.
• Neutron: Uncharged subatomic particle that is present in the atomic
nucleus.
• Electron: Negatively charged subatomic particle that occupies orbitals
around the atomic nucleus.

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• Atomic number: Number of protons in the nucleus of an element’s
atom
• Mass number: Total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus
of an element's atoms.
• Charge: Electrical property of some subatomic particles. Opposite
charges attract; like charges repel.
• Isotopes: Forms of an element that differ in the number of neutrons
their atoms carry
• Radioisotope: Isotope with an unstable nucleus.

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 Atomic Structure
Atoms are neutral Numbers of e- and p+ are same in one atom

Number of proton is fixed for an atom of an element

 ISOTOPES
Differ in numbers of neutron
They have same atomic number but different mass number
 Ions
• An Ion is an atom or a group of atoms that has a net
positive or negative charge.
• The number of “Proton” in the nucleus remains same
during chemical reaction.
• Electrons are lost/gained during a reaction.
– The loss of 1/more electrons from a neutral atom results
“cation” : an ion with (+) charge .
– The gain of 1/more electrons from a neutral atom results
“anion”: an ion with (-) charge.
 11 protons 17 protons
Na+ Cl-
10 electrons 18 electrons

Cation anion
 Molecule
• Molecule is an aggregate of at least two atoms in a
definite arrangement held together by chemical bonds
• Molecules can contain atoms of same elements or
different elements.
• They should join in a fixed ratio.
• They are electrically neutral like atoms.

• Example: O2, H2, H2O, C6H12O6 etc.

 Molecules of Molecules of
Atoms an element a compound

Look carefully how element and compound differ….??

 Element vs. Compound
• An element is a substance that cannot be broken
down to other substances by chemical reactions.
– Example: Carbon (C), Cobalt (Co), Oxygen (O2) etc.

• A compound is a substance consisting of two or

more different elements combined in a fixed
ratio.
– Example: Sodium chloride (NaCl), Water (H2O)
 Chemical Bond
• The force that holds the atoms together in a
molecule is called a chemical bond.

• Most common and significant bonds are-


Ionic bonds


Covalent bonds


Hydrogen bonds

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 Ionic Bond
• Electron is transferred from the
outer most shell of an atom.
• One atom donates e- and
becomes cation.
• Another atom receives that e-
and become anion.
• Cation and anion attract each
other, forming an ionic bond.
• Ionic bond is strong.
• Example: NaCl is an ionic
compound forms by ionic bond.

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 Covalent Bond
• When transfer is not possible,
the outer most electron is
shared between the atoms,
forming the covalent bond.
• Example: O2, H2 etc are covalent
compounds formed by covalent
bond.

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 Electronegativity
• Atoms in a molecule attract shared
electrons to varying degrees, depending
on the element.
• The attraction of a particular atom for
the electrons of a covalent bond is called
it’s electronegativity.
• The more electronegative an atom is, the
more strongly it pulls shared electrons
toward itself.

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 Types of Covalent Bond
• Polar Covalent Bond: When
atoms participating in the bonds
do not share electrons equally.

• Non Polar Covalent Bond: When

atoms participating in the bonds
share electrons equally. There is
no difference in charge between
the two ends of such bonds.

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 Hydrogen Bonds
• A hydrogen bond is a weak attraction between a hydrogen
atom and another atom taking part in a separate polar
covalent bond
• Hydrogen bonds do not make molecules
• Hydrogen bonds form and break much more easily
 Water
Water has unique properties that make life possible
• Water is an excellent solvent
- it dissolves hydrophilic substances
- It does not dissolve hydrophobic substances

• Water is stable in high temperature

• Water is cohesive/adhesive
• Water evaporates
 Diffusion
The process by which molecules spread from areas of
high concentration, to areas of low concentration.
Diffusion
 OSMOSIS
The diffusion of water (across a membrane). Water will move in
the direction where there is a high concentration of solute (and
hence a lower concentration of water).
Diffusion vs. Osmosis

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Acids, Bases, and Salts
Acids release hydrogen ions (H+) in water. Bases (alkali)
release hydroxyl ions (OH-) in water. Salts release ions
other than H+ and OH- ions in water.
pH
• A value on a logarithmic scale expressing the
acidity or alkalinity of a solution is called pH. A
solution with pH value 7 is neutral, lower than 7 is
acidic, and higher than 7 is alkaline.
• The pH is equal to -log10 c, where c is the hydrogen
ion concentration in moles per liter.
Buffer
• A solution that resists changes in pH when acid or
base is added to it. Buffers consist of a weak acid
together with one of its salts or a weak base
together with one of its salts.
• Buffers keep the pH of body fluids stable.
What are the major buffer systems of our body?

Major buffer systems of our body:

1. Carbonic acid-bicarbonate buffer
2. Phosphate buffer, and
3. Protein buffer

Carbonic acid-bicarbonate buffer:

The carbonic acid-bicarbonate buffer system plays
an extremely important role in maintaining pH of the
blood.

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Phosphate buffer:
Phosphate buffer consists of phosphoric acid (H3PO4)
together with dihydrogen phosphate ion (H2PO4–).
This buffer plays a minute role in maintaining pH of the
blood.

Protein buffer:
Protein buffer helps to maintain pH in and around the
cells.

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Thank you

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