Biochemistry: The Fundamental

Chemistry of Life

By Mohamad Qulam Zaki Bin Mohamad

Rasidi
Canada eSchool / Ottawa Carleton

What should be in your mind right

now?
The fundamental Chemistry of Life
Atomic structure
Electron
arrangements
Ionic bonds
Covalent bonds
Polar Molecules
Chemical Reactions

on
Electr
?

om
t
A

io n
bo ic
nd
s?

W
ow

!!

Topic Prelude
Living organisms are made up from matter.
Matter is anything that occupies space and has mass.
Matters are made up from chemical elements known as atoms.
A substances that made up from one type of atom known as
element.
There are about 109 types of atoms and 92 elements in our
nature.
Lets
discover
more
knowledge!!

Atomic structure
Do you notice that
the atomic
structure is
mostly same to
our solar system
movement?
It is so amaze
me!! Do you?

An atom is the smallest part

of an element.
.Atoms consist of protons,
neutrons, and electrons

Figure 1: Structure of an atom

Source:http://
physics.taskermilward.org.uk/KS4/additional/html/
atomic_structure.htm

Proton has a single positive electrical

charge
Electron has a single negative electrical
charge
Neutron is electrically neutral

The atom can share, donate or receive

electrons in order to fill their outer
electron shells which results in attractions
between atoms called chemical bonds

The weight or mass of an

atom the sum of the number
of protons and neutrons
Electron arrangement
determines the chemical
properties of an atom
The electrons number in the
outermost shell determines
the chemical properties of the
atom

Figure 3: Magnesium atom structure

Figure 2: The most common elements in living things

Do you ever
heard about
Isotope?

Isotope is an atom of the same element

that have same number of protons and
electrons but have a different number of
neutrons

Figure 4: Three different type of hydrogen

isotopes

Electron arrangements
The arrangements of electrons determines the chemical
properties of an atom.

Electrons move around the

atomic nucleus specific regions
called orbitals.

But how?

Figure 5: Type of orbitals

If you want to do something during your 1 st or

2nd grade schooling, do you line up in a
straight line?

Yes, I do!!

So does
electrons!!
They are
good
boys!!

Orbitals
region of space
that one or two
electrons can
occupy.

Remember!
!

Valence
electrons
electrons in
atoms outermost
energy shell or
valence shell

Ionic bonds
How are ionic
bonds formed?

An ionic bond forms

between two atoms that
have lost or gain electrons
to become charged

HINT
When a couple is in love, they will give and get the love from
each other. One partner will give the love, and the another
partner will receive it.

Therefore, ionic bond is like a

relationship between a couple
An atom will release the
electrons, meanwhile the
another atoms will receive that
electrons. They will build an
ionic bond to stay together.

Example of formation of ionic bond:

Due to the opposite electrical charges of the sodium and chloride

ions, these particles are attracted to each other. The force of
attraction holding these ions together is called an ionic bond.

Figure 6: Example of ionic bond formation in Sodium

Chloride

Covalent bonds
Covalent bonds

Form when atoms share one or more

pairs of valence electrons.

Covalent bonds are much stronger than

ionic
bonds

HINT

Your friends
are
another
When you have best friends, they are
sharing
everything
with you. Your secret, your best moment
andthat
your life.
atoms
making a
Do you think your sharing had made covalent
you more
stronger? Yes it is! bond. Love
them!
It same goes to covalent bond. Atoms are sharing
their electrons and this making them more stronger
than ionic bond.

Figure 7: The covalent bond in methane structure

Polar Molecules

Molecules with unequal distribution of electron

charges

In water molecules, the oxygen

atom has a slight negative charge
and the hydrogens have a slight
positive charge
Figure 8: The water molecule

Polarity

Polar Covalent Bonds

Unequal sharing of an electron
pair results in one atom
attracting the pair more
strongly than the other atom
and symmetrical molecular
shapes

Nonpolar Covalent Bonds

Equal sharing of an electron
pair and
Asymmetrical molecular shapes

Example of polar and non polar covalent

bonds

Figure 9: The polar covalent bond;

water molecule

Figure 10: The non-polar covalent

bond; methane molecule

Also known as Van

der Waals forces
INTERMOLECULAR
BONDS

London dispersion
forces

Dipole-dipole
forces

Hydrogen bonds

LONDON DISPERSION
FORCES

Weakest forces found between all

atoms and molecules
These forces exist due to the
temporary unequal distribution of
electrons that are attracted to the
nuclei of neighbouring atoms

Figure 11: The London Dispersion in

iodine

DIPOLE-DIPOLE FORCES

Hold polar molecules to one

another

The partially positive side on one

molecule is attracted to the
partially negative side of another
molecule

Figure 12: The dipole-dipole forces between two atoms

HYDROGEN BONDS

Hydrogen bonds are weak

bonds important in the
chemistry of life but have
strongest intermolecular
forces

Form between an electropositive

H of one polar molecule and an
electronegative N, O or F of a
neighbouring polar molecule

Hydrogen, as part of a polar

covalent bond, will share
attractions with other
electronegative atoms

Figure 13: The hydrogen bonds

between water molecules.

Chemical Reaction

All chemical reactions involve the breaking and formation of

chemical bonds, thereby changing the arrangements of
atoms and ions

dehydration

neutralization

hydrolysis

redox reactions

Dehydration
Also called as condensation
reactions
water is used as a reactant to split a
larger molecule into smaller
subunits
Common methods used by cells to join smaller
molecules and assemble extremely large
macromolecules such as complex carbohydrates
and proteins

Figure 14: The dehydration process

Hydrolysis

Reverse of dehydration
reactions

Water acts as a reactant to split

or lyse a larger molecule

A bond in the reactant molecule is

broken and the OH and H from a
split water are attached, resulting
in two products

Figure 15: Example of hydrolysis reaction

Neutralization

occur between acids and

bases to produce salts

Acid

Base

Water

Figure 16: Example of neutralization reaction

Salt

Redox reaction
REDOX Reduction and
Oxidation
Figure 17: Example of redox reaction
Electrons are lost from one atom
and gained by another atom
OXIDATION loss of electrons
(OIL)
REDUCTION gain of electrons
(RIG)

References:
Fraser,D. (2012). Biology 12. Toronto, Ont,: Nelson Education.
Atomic Structure. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2015, from http://
physics.taskermilward.org.uk/KS4/additional/html/atomic_structure.htm
Neutralization Reactions. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2015, from http://
www.chem.memphis.edu/bridson/FundChem/T16a1100.htm

The End of
Presentation
Thank You