Chapter 1

Departmental Material (what may be on the final)

Introduction to science – Discuss the idea of science as a process of gaining information:

include the strengths and limitations of this process. – Briefly describe Science in the 20th century and in historical

context including Greeks and Romans. – Compare science and the scientific method with other ways of

gaining information such as intuition, authority and experience. Include the terms: hypothesis, prediction, experiment, Biological theory, Biological Principle or Law.

– Discuss how science differs from political science, history, art, religion.

– Describe the relationships between science and technology.

Characteristics of biology as a science – Define the breadth and scope of biology; i.e., biochemistry,

botany, bioinformatics. – Explain what is meant by “the unity of life” in the context to the

levels of organization from atomic, cellular and ecological. – Introduce the ecological terms: autotroph, heterotroph,

consumer, decomposer, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore and their interdependence.

– Explain what is meant by the diversity of life. Introduce the hierarchical classification system and the use of binomial nomenclature.

– List, define and give examples for the characteristics of living things. Define homeostasis, metabolism, catabolism, anabolism, responsiveness, mutation, adaptation, reproduction, growth.

• Evolution (we’ll cover this later)

Chapter 2

Chemistry

Departmental Objectives

Atomic and molecular structure – Describe the nature of the atom with regard to

size and arrangement of subatomic particles.– Compare and contrast the Bohr model and

the contemporary/ quantum model. – Define atomic number (and its significance)

and atomic mass/weight.

Departmental Objectives

• Define, give example and uses for isotopes.

• Discuss the nature of chemical reactions, include the collision theory.

• Explain the physical factors affecting reactions such as temperature, pressure, concentration.

Departmental Objectives

• Define, explain the formation and importance of hydrogen bonds. Give examples.

• Compare and contrast – Ionic– covalent – hydrogen bonds

Departmental Objectives

Water molecules – Describe the molecular interactions of water

as a gas, liquid, solid. – Describe an overview of the water molecule. – Describe the properties of water as a small,

polar molecule with regard to its • solvent properties, • adhesive and cohesive properties • latent heat properties. Define specific heat,

thermoconductivity, and heat of vaporization.

Departmental Objectives

• Explain the properties of water at its boiling and freezing points and the biological significance.

• Describe the dissociation of water molecules.

• Define acids, bases and neutralization.

Departmental Objectives

• Explain the importance of hydrogen and hydroxyl ion concentrations in biological systems.

• Understand the pH scale in terms of simple mathematical relationships.

• Define buffers, their biological importance and give some examples.

Departmental Objectives

• Define, explain the importance, the formation and give examples for: – 1. ions: anion and cation – 2. ionic bonds – 3. oxidation and reduction

• Define, explain the importance and formation of molecules, and give examples for: – polar covalent bonds – non-polar covalent bonds

Departmental Objectives

Atomic and molecular structure – Describe the nature of the atom with regard to

size and arrangement of subatomic particles.– Compare and contrast the Bohr model and

the contemporary/ quantum model. – Define atomic number (and its significance)

and atomic mass/weight.

• Keme, Egyptian word for “earth”– Concerns itself with the static and dynamic properties

and phenomenon of matter, as well as those forces that directly impact these properties and phenomena (such as energy and entropy).

• Metallurgy Alchemy Chemistry• Original gold work was thought to be a

transformation, not a purification.– (kind of ironic the original scientists thought that

elements could change, but biological species were fixed.)

Matter4 states of matter, not 3! (Solid, Liquid, Gas,

Plasma)Made of atoms.

Atoms are the smallest unit of matter that still retains the properties of an element (theme: emergent properties)

Atoms as systems of particlesvary the amounts and ratios, vary the physical properties.

Underlying math structure is what counts.

Molecules are systems of atomsCompounds are molecules that contain atoms of more

than one kind of atom (e.g. CH4).Compounds are therefore always heterogeneous.

Molecules are the small unit of matter that still retain the properties of a compound

ElementsAtoms can be very different from each other. We name (not

classify!) atoms based on the fact that they have different numbers of protons in the nucleus.

Elements are therefore the most fundamental unit of matter that is imbued with specific properties. (a proton is a proton, electron is an electron, etc.)

Some properties of elementsdensitysolubilitymelting pointreactivity

Look at each element’s properties as the emergent properties of the subatomic system that makes up the element!

Only 92 naturally occurring elements.Concept of “islands of stability”6 elements make up more than 95% of all biomass (define

biomass), and 5 others are also vital (but make up less): Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus, Sulfur (NOT potassium and

sodium!) (CHNOPS)sodium, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium.Show figure 2.1

Atomsfrom atomos, uncut, indivisible.

Dalton’s atomic theory (early 1800s)• Elements are made of tiny particles called atoms • All atoms of a given element are identical • The atoms of a given element are different from those of

any other element • Atoms of one element can combine with atoms of other

elements to form compounds. A given compound always has the same relative numbers of types of atoms.

• Atoms cannot be created, divided into smaller particles, nor destroyed in the chemical process. A chemical reaction simply changes the way atoms are grouped together

Dalton had requested that his eyes be examined after his death, in an attempt to discover the cause of his colour-blindness; he had hypothesised that his aqueous humour might be coloured blue. Postmortem examination showed that the humours of the eye were perfectly normal. However, an eye was preserved at the Royal Institution, and a 1990s study on DNA extracted from the eye showed that he had lacked the pigment that gives sensitivity to green; the classic condition known as a deuteranope

• 1808: dalton’s atomic theory

• 1913: Bohr’s Atom

• 1926: Schrodinger: electrons as 3D waveforms.– Standing waves.

• Demonstration• Video: Standing waves on youtube

• 1977: quantum chromodynamics (QCD)

Bohr Models of Atoms

1913

Problem: could only predict spectral lines of H

• Modern atomic theory is based on the Standard Model– Protons & Neutrons (called hadrons) are made out

of Quarks– Electrons are always paired to an electron-neutrino.

This particle pair is one of 3 types of particles called leptons

– The most fundamental particles we’re aware of are quarks and leptons. Not protons, neutrons, and electrons.

– Quarks and leptons may have underlying structure as well – we just can’t detect any (yet?)

Element AElement A Element BElement B Element CElement C

Why are they different?The same reason any systemMade up of different things is DifferentCompare an eye to the stock market.Very different? So are carbon and uranium.

How we perceive atomswet

metallicdusty

heavyLighter than air

The Periodic Table, “how humans have figured out a way to divide the

elements into chunks of knowledge that make sense to us”.

humans classify things

The Periodic Table is to chemists what Taxonomy is to biologists

The difference: chemical elements are easier to investigate, and so we know a great deal more about them than we do about the various organisms that make up the biosphere.

CAtomic mass

Atomic number

12

6

Atomic Number: The ultimate factor in an elements properties. Change this number and you change the element (transmutation) This number also gives you the number of electrons an atom of this element will have when it is electrically neutral.

Atomic Mass: This is how much total “stuff” is in the nucleus. Change this number and you change the mass of the element – but not its physical or chemical properties. (Isotopes of an element differ in their atomic mass, not atomic number; they have different amounts of neutrons.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isotope