BIOL 116 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Emergence, Mg Mgb, Sodium Chloride
Where to begin?
Chapter 1 introduces the reader to the themes of the book, one of which is the hierarchy of life:
life can be organized into a hierarchy of structural levels; this class/book goes from smallest to
largest - in that order: molecules, organelles, cells, tissues, organs/organ systems, organisms,
populations, communities, ecosystems, the biosphere.
biology - the study of life
bio is built on non living things like elements, molecules, and compounds
these building blocks that make life on earth possible
Chapter 2: The Chemical Context Of Life
-at each successive level, additional emergent properties appear
-emergent properties = each level obtains new properties that didn’t exist before
-i.e., emergent properties in a compound = the metal sodium (Na) combines with the
gaseous chlorine (Cl) that’s poisonous to become an edible crystal, sodium chloride
(salt) —> it goes from a poison and metal to being edible crystals
-
- Why are we learning about chemistry in biology?
Chemistry is intimately linked to the evolution of life; you must understand chemistry to
understand evolution
-organisms = composed of matter and elements, in combinations called compounds
-matter = anything that takes up space and has mass and is composed of chemical
elements (fundamental unit = atom)
-elements = on periodic table; a pure substance that cannot be broken down to other forms
by physical or chemical techniques (i.e., Na, O, H, C, Mg, Cl) (elements are different
atoms)
-compound = a substance consisting of 2 or more elements in a fixed ratio (i.e., sodium
chloride [salt] is composed of Na and Cl [sodium and chlorine] [NaCl]; H2O is water and
combines 2 atoms of hydrogen [H] and 1 atom of oxygen [O] at a 2:1 ratio) ** these
compounds also result in emergent properties
-There are 92 naturally occurring elements but only 20-25% of them are essential for life/
that are essential elements needed for an organism to like a healthy life and reproduce
-** 25 needed for animals and 17 for plants **
-oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, and hydrogen make up 96.3% of living matter (others that make
up the other 3.7% is comprised of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, sodium,
chlorine, and magnesium - remember with “I C HOPKNS CaFe Mg B Mn CuZn Cl Mo” ( i
see hopkins cafe managed by mine cousin clyde moe) (iodine carbon hydrogen oxygen
phosphorus potassium nitrogen sulfur calcium iron magnesium copper zinc chlorine
molybdenum) ** the major molecules in the body
-H2O is approx. 75-85% of your cellular weight
-** ** ** animals contain majority of these elements in the form of organic
compounds EXCEPT OXYGEN AND WATER; plants obtain these elements as
inorganic compounds
-NOCH - the main majority of elements in the body (nitro, oxyg, carbon, hydro)
- trace elements = required by an organism but only in small quantities
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