Chapter 2-4 Flashcards
Give an example of an overlap of chemicals and biology.
− Duroia hirsuta trees are known as “devil’s garden” due to the lack of other plants that surround them.
− It was discovered that ants living in these trees release a chemical known as formic acid into intruding plants to provide space for the Duroia hirsuta tree that serves as their home
What is matter?
Matter- anything that takes up space and has mass
What is an element? How many elements are there?
Element- a substance that cannot be broken down by a chemical reaction
• Chemists recognize 92 elements
What is a compound?
Compound- substance consisting of two or more different elements combined at a fixed ratio
• A compound has characteristics different than those of its elements
How many elements are essential to life?
25
Which elements make up 96% of all living matter?
Carbon Oxygen Hydrogen Nitrogen
What are trace elements and what is an example?
Trace elements- elements required by an organism in minute quantities (less than .01% body weight), iodine prevents goiter
List the trace elements.
Trace Elements: boron cobalt copper chromium fluoride iron iodine manganese molybdenum selenium silicon tin vanadium zinc
List the major minerals.
Elements that make up 4% of an organisms weight (major minerals): sodium potassium chloride calcium phosphorus magnesium sulfur (salty potato chips contain pretty much salt)
What is an atom?
Atom- the smallest unit of matter that still retains the properties of an element
What are subatomic particles?
Subatomic particles- protons (+), neutrons (0), electrons (-)
How are the subatomic particles structured in an atom?
Protons and neutrons are packed together in a tight core or atomic nucleus and electrons form a negative cloud around the nucleus
What units are used to compute the mass of an atom?
Daltons or atomic mass unit (amu) are used to compute the mass of an atom. One neutron or proton is about one Dalton or amu. (electrons are ignored when computing mass)
What is the atomic number?
Atomic Number- number of protons (if neutral this equals the number of electrons)
What is the mass number?
Mass Number- sum of protons and neutrons
What is atomic mass?
Atomic Mass- precise mass in Daltons
What is an isotope?
atoms with different amounts of neutrons
What is a radioactive isotope?
Radioactive Isotope- an isotopes in which the nucleus decays spontaneously giving off particles and energy (Carbon 14)
What occurs when a radioactive isotope lead to a change in the number of protons?
When the decay lead to a change in the number of protons it transforms to an atoms of a different element (radioactive carbon to nitrogen)
What are the uses and consequences of radioactive isotopes?
- PET scans use radioactive isotopes and are also used in dating fossils
- Radiation from decaying isotopes poses a hazard to life by damaging cellular molecules
Which subatomic particle is directly involved in reactions between atoms?
electrons
What is energy?
the capacity to cause change
What is potential energy?
energy that matter possesses because of its location or structure
How do electrons have potential energy?
Electrons of an atom have potential energy because of how they are arranged in relation to the nucleus- the more distant an electron is from the nucleus the greater its potential energy