The Chemical Basis of Life - Basic Chemistry - By Microbiology Doctor dr (doctor_dr)

Anatomy and Physiology 

Unit 1: The Body As A Whole

Anatomy and physiology are branches of biology, which is the study of living things. To fully comprehend the features of life, what living matter is, how it is structured, and what it can accomplish, we must first recognise and comprehend certain fundamental chemical concepts that relate to the life process.

The correct amounts and proportions of chemical compounds in the cytoplasm of cells are required for life to exist. The presence and interrelationships of atoms and molecules underpin the different structural levels of organisation outlined in Chapter 1. Chemistry, like biology, is a hugely diverse field of study.

It is concerned with the structure, arrangement, and composition of substances, as well as their responses. Chemistry may be split into specialised fields, much as biology can be divided into numerous subdisciplines or divisions, such as anatomy and physiology. Biochemistry is the branch of chemistry that studies living organisms and their processes. It is concerned with the chemical makeup of living stuff as well as the mechanisms that underpin life activities such as growth, muscular contraction, and nerve signal transmission.

Modern biochemistry is actually a collection of fields. It is intertwined with other biological sciences as well as modern medicine. Biochemists investigate life processes at all levels of organisation using a variety of chemical, physical, biological, nutritional, and immunological approaches. In many situations, knowledge of fundamental chemistry and chosen facts and ideas in the specialist field of biochemistry are required to comprehend homeostatic processes and regulatory mechanisms.

BASIC CHEMISTRY

Elements and Compounds 

Chemists use the term matter to refer to all of the materials and substances that surround us. Matter is defined as everything that has mass and takes up space.

Either elements or compounds are substances. A substance is considered to be "pure" when it is free of impurities. It can't be broken down or decomposed into two or more distinct compounds, in other words. A good example of an element is pure oxygen. Elements do not exist in their pure state in most living stuff. Instead, two or more components are linked together to form a new entity. Compounds are chemical combinations. Compounds can be broken down or decomposed into the individual components that make them up. Water (H2O) is a chemical.

In a 2:1 ratio, it may be broken down into hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Phosphorus, copper, and nitrogen are examples of other elements. Chemists assign each element a symbol, generally the first letter or two of the English or Latin name of the element, for ease of writing chemical formulae and other forms of notation: P, phosphorus; Cu, copper (Latin cuprum); N, nitrogen. There are 26 elements mentioned in Table 2-1 as being present in the human body. Despite the fact that all are significant, 11 are referred to as key components. About 96 percent of the substance in the human body is made up of four of these main elements: carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen.

The other 15 elements are known as trace elements since they are present in levels less than 0.1 percent of body weight. It's crucial to remember, nevertheless, that a living organism's distinctive "aliveness" is determined by the complexity, structure, and interrelationships of all materials necessary for life, not by a single ingredient or mixture of elements.

Table of Elements in the human body.
Element	Symbol	Human Body Weight (%)	Importance or Function
MAJOR ELEMENTS
Oxygen	O	65.0	Necessary for cellular respiration: component of water
Carbon	C	18.5	Backbone of organic molecules
Hydrogen	H	9.5	Component of water and most organic molecules; necessary for energy transfer and respiration
Nitrogen	N	3.3	Component of all proteins and nucleic acids
Calcium	Ca	1.5	Component of bones and teeth; triggers muscle contraction
Phosphorus	P	1.0	Principal component in backbone of nucleic acids; important in energy transfer
Potassium	K	0.4	Principal positive ion within cells; important in nerve function
Sulfur	S	0.3	Component of most proteins
Sodium	Na	0.2	Important positive ion surrounding cells; important in nerve function
Chlorine	Cl	0.2	Important negative ion surrounding cells
Magnesium	Mg	0.1	Component of many energy-transferring enzymes
TRACE ELEMENT
Silicon	Si	<0.1	-
Aluminum	Al	<0.1	-
Iron	Fe	<0.1	Critical component of hemoglobin in the blood
Manganese	Mn	<0.1	-
Fluorine	F	<0.1	-
Vanadium	V	<0.1	-
Chromium	Cr	<0.1	-
Copper	Cu	<0.1	Key component of many enzymes
Boron	B	<0.1	-
Cobalt	Co	<0.1	-
Zinc	Zn	<0.1	Key component of some enzymes
Selenium	Se	<0.1	-
Molybdenum	Mo	<0.1	Key component of many enzymes
Tin	Sn	<0.1	-
Iodine	I	<0.1	Component of thyroid hormone

QUICK INSPECTION

1. What is the definition of biochemistry?

2. What's the difference between a compound and an element?

3. What components make up 96 percent of the human body's material?