Chemistry of life and membrane structure and function

Concepts/Topics 1. Scientific method and hypothesis formation. 2. Seven different properties of life. 3. Themes that unite life. a. How organisms interact with their environment and role of energy. b. How form relates to function. c. The cell as the basic unit of life. d. DNA, inheritance and gene expression. e. Classifying molecular biology via “-omics”. f. Mechanisms of regulating systems. g. Classification of life. h. Evolution as the central theme to life. 4. Characteristics of the different bonds between atoms and acid/base chemistry. 5. How water’s characteristics affect life. 6. Know the seven biologically important chemical groups that we talked about in class. 7. The four types of biomolecules and all their characteristics (there’s a ton here). a. Carbohydrates – functions, structure and classifications b. Lipids – functions, structure and classifications, pay attention to special nature of phospholipids c. Proteins – 8 functions, general amino acid chemical characteristics, four levels of protein structure d. Nucleotides – functions and structure 8. Energy and how it relates to life. a. Laws of Thermodynamics b. Free energy and its relationship to chemical reactions and how reactions are coupled. c. ATP uses 9. Enzymes – purpose, functions, characteristics, and factors that affect enzyme activity. 10. Membrane components and fluidity. 11. Characteristics and functions of membrane proteins. 12. How membranes act as biological barriers and what affects membrane permeability. 13. How small molecules cross membranes using passive or active transport and characteristics of each. 14. Bulk transport using endocytosis and exocytosis