BSCI105 Freshman Connection Fall 2013 Study Guide Chapter 1 Overview The introductory chapter sets the stage for the rest of the material presented in the textbook The chapter begins with a general discussion in how we define life which is an important thing to think about given that biology is the study of life You should see that there are a number of properties that are shared by living organisms and understanding these properties is the goal of biological science The first half of the chapter discusses major themes of biological science These themes allow us organize our knowledge and research to address big questions Most of the information in the textbook and in this course can be organized into these major themes Try to think of how what you learn throughout the semester contributes to our understanding of these themes and ultimately to the Big Question How does life work The second half of the chapter discusses HOW we do science that is the process of science Science is a way of knowing of understanding the world from a rational perspective Over the centuries biologists have learned a lot about natural history through careful observation and inductive logic These observations have guided a large and ongoing tradition of deductive science that strives to discover fundamental facts about the biological world through experimentation An important concept in experimental science is the testing of hypotheses that are falsifiable Key Points to Consider I Themes of Life Concept 1 Life is hard to define but all living things share certain features Living things are organized Living things consume energy Living things reproduce Living things self regulate Living things sense and respond to the environment Living things evolve Concept 2 Living systems exhibit emergent properties at different levels of organization Concept 3 Biological information can be organized into major themes of study Levels of organization Energy flow Structure function relationships Cellular basis of life Continuity of life Regulatory mechanisms II The Nature of Science Vocabulary Induction Deduction Hypothesis Concept 1 Scientific research can be observational inductive or experimental deductive Concept 2 Experimental science is hypothesis based and follows the scientific method Make observations Define a hypothesis Design an experiment to test hypothesis Interpret results Draw conclusion Supplementary Information The Science of Cell Molecular Biology Concept Cellular and molecular biology is the science of understanding how the structure organization and regulation of molecules and cells relate to the biological functions of organisms Study Guide Chapter 2 Overview Chapter 2 reviews principals of basic chemistry that are important for understanding the chemistry of life The structures and chemical properties of biological molecules that are so important to their function are a direct consequence of the nature of their component atoms The reactivity of atoms is a consequence of unpaired valence electrons the shape of compounds is influenced by orbital geometry and the nature of molecular bonds is highly influenced by electronegativity of atoms Key Points to Consider I Fundamentals of Chemistry Vocabulary Element Compound Molecule Proton Neutron Electron Isotope Atomic number Atomic mass Shell Orbital Valence Bond Covalent Ionic Electronegativity Polarity Ion Concept 1 Each element has a unique atomic number depending on number of protons and atomic mass depending on total protons and neutrons in the nucleus Concept 2 Elements are made of atoms with electrons in shells with orbitals that each hold a pair of electrons and their chemical nature is a function of their unpaired valence electrons Concept 3 Compounds are associated atoms sharing electrons either through ionic or covalent bonds the shape of which is determined by geometry of valence orbitals Concept 4 Electrons are shared by atoms joined by covalent bonds allowing both to fill their orbitals Study Guide Chapter 3 Key Points to Consider I Water Vocabulary tension vaporization Concept 5 Unequal sharing of electrons is caused by asymmetric electronegativity resulting in polar bonds and polar compounds that participate in hydrogen bonding Concept 6 Ionic bonds involve stripping of electrons from one atom by another which stay associated by charge interactions Overview When we talk about the chemistry of life we are really talking about chemistry in water the solvent of life The structure of water molecules makes them highly polar and this gives water a suite of emergent properties that very useful to living organisms Cohesion Adhesion Surface Solution Hydrophilic Solute Specific Heat Heat of Mole Molarity Hydrophobic Solvent pH Buffer Concept 1 Water is the solvent of life Concept 2 Hydrogen bonding gives water a number of properties important for life Cohesion adhesion Surface tension High specific heat High heat of vaporization Crystalline solid less dense than liquid Highly polar solvent Concept 3 The chemical environment of aqueous solutions is influenced by pH which is managed by buffers Study Guide Chapter 4 Key Points to Consider Overview Chapter four discusses the importance and suitability of carbon as the backbone of organic molecules There follows a thorough review of the structure and functional properties of important side groups we will seeing throughout the semester Basic Organic Chemistry Isomer Vocabulary Carbonyl Sulfhydryl Aldehyde Enantomer Carboxyl Phosphate Ketone Hydroxyl Amino Methyl Concept 1 Concept 2 Concept 3 Concept 4 Carbon maximizes diversity of organic molecules through four valence electrons forming compounds with tetrahedral shapes Carbon chains form the backbone of all organic molecules which differ in length and structure Isomers are structural variations on molecules that increase diversity of organic compounds Functional groups along the carbon backbone provide additional molecular diversity by modifying the chemical properties of organic molecules Study Guide Chapter 5 Overview Chapter 5 is a broad general review of the four major classes of biological molecules carbohydrates lipids proteins and nucleic acids Lipids are a special class of highly hydrophobic molecules that includes a variety of structurally unrelated types such as fats and steroids The other three are polymers that are critical for cell structure and function Key Points to Consider I Biological Macromolecules Vocabulary Monomer Dehydration Lipid
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