Chemistry in Biology

Periodic Table for Biology &The Chemistry of Carbon

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Diversity of Life

• Almost all molecules a cell makes are composed of carbon

Organic Compounds

• Carbon based molecules• Most versatile building blocks of molecules

Properties of Carbon

• 4 valence electrons – little tendency to gain or loose electrons

• Can combine with atoms of many different elements

• Can form 4 single covalent bonds

• Can form double and triple covalent bonds

Organic Compounds

• Carbon forms the greatest number of different compounds

• Compounds containing only hydrogen and carbon are called hydrocarbons– Simplest: methane (CH4)

Hydrocarbons

Same molecular formula but different position = isomers

C4H10

Resources

Campbell et.al. (2004) Biology: Exploring Life. Prentice Hall

Campbell, N., Reece, J. (2005). AP Edition Biology, 7th ed. San Francisco,

CA: Benjamin Cummings Publishing Company.

i-Biology (2013). Periodic table for biologists. Retrieved January 23, 2015

from website

http://i-biology.net/ibdpbio/01-cells-and-energy/periodic-table-for-

biologists/