Chemistry of Life

• the atomic mass gives you the number of neutrons if you subtract the number of protons by the atomic mass
• atomic number shows the number of protons and the number of electrons in an atom.
• the valence shell is the outermost shell of electrons in an atom, and once there is no valence shell, the atom become non-reactive.
• A covalent bond is a chemical bond that forms two atoms by sharing electrons between them
• A ionic bond is a chemical bond where the electrons are transferred from one atom to another.
• polarity is the uneven distribution of electrons in a molecule, which can be either positive or negative
• the six main elements of the human body are: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur
• some special properties of water is it expands slightly when frozen (low density of ice), it is a good solvent for any other substances, it has a high heat capacity, it is a polar molecule, and it has cohesive and adhesive properties
• carbohydrates are made of O, H, and C atoms, usually in a 1:2:1 ratio. function is short term energy use


  the monomer is glucose which is a monosacaride
• lipids are mostly made of C and H atoms a little O atoms. they have double bonds (hydrogen bonds) which form saturated or unsaturated triglycerides. function is long term energy use


  lipids don't have a monomer, but some examples of lipids are steroids, waxes, triglycerides, and phospholipids.
• nucleic acids contain a nitrogenous base, phosphate group and pentose sugar and some examples of nucleic acids are DNA/RNA. function is to store genetic material and pass DNA to the offspring


  the monomer of a nucleotide
• proteins are made of an amino group, carboxyl group and a side (R) chain, some examples are chitin and hemoglobin. functions are sending hormonal signals, transport hemoglobin, and provide structural support. 


  the monomer is an amino acid
• when enzymes denature it means the pH of that solution went out of its optimal pH, resulting in the amino acids not being able to bond together
• when temperature changes it means the speed of the enzyme will change making it harder for the enzymes to meet with their substrates