Dr.

Mona Hamed El-Fatatry

Introduction to the chemistry of life
 Biochemistry is a wonderfully interesting
topic that REFLECT the chemical structure
of the molecules that make us up.

Scientists use biochemistry today to explain how

our body works
Importance of Biochemistry

With biochemistry we can

1- Make medicines that affect the
body,
2-Crack the DNA code,
3-Eat the right foods,
4-Explain diseases,
5-Observe chemical reactions,
An In trodu cti on t o the ch emis tr y of l ife

Atom
The atom is the smallest unit of element
that can exist stably .
Atoms, molecules and compounds
Atom : is the smallest unit of element .

Element : is the chemical substance

whose atoms are all of the same type e.g.

iron

Compound : is the chemical substance

that contain more than one type of atom

Atom
The human body is made up mainly
of ( Carbon , Hydrogen
,Oxygen and Nitrogen ) arranged in
different variations to form
different compounds so most of
the body is formed of organic
compounds and the human body
also contain inorganic compounds
Atom
Carbon
The main element
present in organic
molecules is carbon.
Carbon is the building
block of living things
Comprises 18% of
body by weight
Forms four covalent
bonds
Can form single or
double bonds
Can build micro- or
macromolecules
Atom
Why we study atoms?
Through atoms we can understand:
How compounds are formed
The chemistry of bonds
Understand chemical reactions as
chemical reactions are
Atoms binding and breaking
A +B AB
 Atom is formed of a central
Atomic struct ur e
nucleus containing
protons and neutrons
surrounded by a cloud of
electrons in orbital (shells).

Atomic struct ur e
To have different Atomic st ruct ur e
elements they differ in
proton number.
Number of protons =
number of electrons

Atomic number : is the

number of protons in the
nucleus.

Atomic weight : is the sum

of protons and neutrons
No. of neutrons = mass No. – atomic No.
Atomic structure
Atomic structure
How are electrons arranged in
atoms?
Arranged in orbitals (shells) around the
nucleus.
The nearest shell to the nucleus fill first
when it is full electrons shift to he
second shell .
each shell has fixed number of electrons
Examples of electron distribution

1 - -
2 6 -
2 8 1
An Intr oducti on t o t he ch emi st r y o f li fe

Isotopes
An Intr oducti on t o t he ch emi st r y o f li fe
Isotopes
Isotopes are atoms
of the same
element with the
same number of
protons (atomic
No.) but different
number of neutrons
(atomic weight ).
Example
Isotopes of
 Not in
Isotopes book

Radioactive Isotopes
Some isotopes as tritium and C-14 have
unstable nuclei and emit certain types of
radiation ( alpha α , beta β & gamma γ).
Medical uses:
Cancer treatment e.g. cobalt-60 by γ rays
Thyroid gland and radioactive iodine
An Intr oducti on t o t he ch emi st r y o f li fe

Chemical bonds
An Intr oducti on t o t he ch emi st r y o f li fe
Covalent bond
It is the sharing of
electrons between
atoms.
It is strong and stable.
Most compounds are
covalent bonds
Example water, O2
Chemical bonds
Ionic bond
It is the transfer of
electrons from one
atom to another, so
that we’ll have 2 ions
(cation +ve and anion –
ve ) attracted to each
other.
It is weak.
Example
ChemicalNaClbonds
, CaCl
Chemical bonds
Chemical bonds
Other types:
Hydrogen bonds
Hydrophobic
interactions
Van der waal forces
Ionic interactions
(will be studied with
protein structure)
An Intr oducti on t o t he ch emi st r y o f li fe

Electrolytes
An Intr oducti on t o t he ch emi st r y o f li fe
Electrolytes
Salts with ionic compounds when
dissolved in water an electrolyte is
produced ( it can conduct electricity)
Importance of electrolytes to human
body:
Essential for muscle and nerve function.
Maintains osmotic pressure in blood and
cells.
Maintains pH (acid- base) of blood
Electrolytes
Positive electrolytes in the body

Na+ Cl-
Ca2+ HCO3-
K+ PO43-

Cations
Anions

Electrolytes
Molecular weight and molar concentaration

Molecular weight :
It is the sum of atomic weight of the elements
forming the molecule e.g. H2O
H=1 O=16
Molecular weight of water = 2 H + O
= 2*1+16 = 18
What about sodium bicarbonate NaHCO3
Molar concentration:
It is for expressing the concentration of substances
in the body fluids.
Mole (mol) : it is the molecular weight in grams of
substance
( one mole O = 16 gm) (H) ? (Na)?
Molecular weight and molar concentaration

One mole contain 6.023* 1023 molecules

i.e. 16 gm O contain 6.023* 1023 oxygen
molecules
1 gm H contain 6.023* 1023hydrogen
molecules
Molar solution:
It is a solution in which one mole of substance
is dissolved in one liter
1 molar solution of Na Cl= 23 + 35.5 = 58.5 g
per liter
1 molar solution of C = 12 g per liter
Molecular weight and molar concentaration
As chemical substances are present in the
body in very small amounts
Molar = mol/l
Millimole = mmol/l
Micromoles = μ mol/l
I U = international unit ( used for substances
of unknown molecular weight e.g. Insulin)
 Not in
Chemical formula and chemical equation book

Chemical formula:
Valency of element is the number which
shows how element combine with each
other it is
For covalent molecules = number of
bonds which the atom can form e.g. C 4
For molecules forming ionic bond =
number of electrons transferred( lost or
gained) e.g. NaCl Na 1 & Cl 1
 Not in
Chemical formula and chemical equation book

Chemical formula:
Groups also have valency e.g NO3 has 1 –
SO4 has 2.
 Not in
book
Chemical reaction
It consists of substances that react together named
reactants producing new substances named
products and it is written as follow:
Reactants Products
A+B C+D
Types of writing chemical equation:
Work equation
Hydrogen + Oxygen water
Symbol equation
H2 + O2 H2O
Balanced equation ( atom equal in both sides )
2H2 + O2 2H2O

Chemical equations
 Not in
Chemical reactions book

A chemical reaction is formation or breaking of

chemical bonds.
Two general types of reactions:
synthesis reactions
decomposition reactions.
In a synthesis reaction, bonds are formed to join
two or more atoms or molecules to make a new
compound.
In a decomposition reaction, bonds are broken,
and a large molecule is changed to two or more
smaller ones. One example is the digestion of
large
molecules of starch into many smaller glucose
Organic compounds to enter chemical
reactions are characterized by
functional groups:

Functional groups
An Intr oducti on t o t he ch emi st r y o f li fe

Water
An Intr oducti on t o t he ch emi st r y o f li fe
 Not in
Water book

Our body can last up to two months without

food, but only a few days without water.
Our bodies are made up of 55 to 75 per cent
water, and we need to drink it to
survive.         
Hydration is the process of providing an
adequate amount of liquid to bodily tissues.
If our body does not get enough water, it
becomes dehydrated.. Some signs of
dehydration are: being thirsty
feeling lightheaded, dizzy, or tired
rapid heartbeat
Water
 Not in
Human body is 70% water b o o k

2/3 of our water is inside our cells, 1/3 is

outside our cells
Why is water important?
Water is the solvent for biological systems,
so no chemical reactions can occur without
it.
Types of compounds in relation to water:
Hydrophilic compounds = interact
(dissolve) with water like
–Polar compounds (alcohol , keton,..)
–Ionic compounds (NaCl)
Hydrophobic compounds = do not interact
with water
Water
 Not in
Water is polar book
compound

Water
Hydrophobic Not in
book
Interactions
-A non-polar
substance does not
readily dissolve in
water.
-The H-bond
network of water
reorganizes to
accommodate the
non-polar solute.
-As a result, the
Water
 Not in
Trace elements book

Trace elements are

those that are needed
by the body in very
small amounts.
When they are present
in food we often call
them minerals, and
examples are iron,
cobalt, and zinc.
An Intr oducti on t o t he ch emi st r y o f li fe

Acid , alkalis and pH

An Intr oducti on t o t he ch emi st r y o f li fe
Measure of acidity depends on hydrogen [H+]
ion concentration.
An acid : it is a substance than releases
hydrogen [H+] ions when in solution.

An alkali ( basic ) : it is a substance that

accept hydrogen [H+] ions with release of
hydroxyl [OH-] ions when in solution.

A salt : it is a substance that releases cations

and anions when in solution, like NaCl as it
releases [Na+] & [Cl-]
Acid , alkalis and pH
pH values is the measurement of
the hydrogen ion concentration in
solution.
The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14
with 7 the mid point as neutral.
pH reading below 7 indicates acid
solution.
pH reading above 7 indicates
alkali solution.
pH reading 7 neutral
pH scale
pH sc ale
pH scale and body fluids.
pH values in the cell and in the
extracellular
fluid are kept constant within
narrow limits.
In the blood, the pH value normally
ranges
only between 7.35 and 7.45 (see p.
288). This corresponds to a
maximum change in the H+
concentration.
pH scale
Buffers
A buffer system is a system that
maintain the blood pH constant
( homeostasis) i.e. to maintain the
blood pH normally .
Formed of a chemical or pair of
chemicals that minimizes changes in
pH by reacting with strong acids or
strong bases to transform them into
weak acid or weak base.
Main organs controls pH are lung and
Buffers
Acidosis Alkalosis

Acidosis is a Alkalosis is a
condition condition where
where the the blood pH
blood pH increase above
decreases 7.45
below 7.35
Both a re d amag ing t o th e
Buffers bo dy
 Than k
you
Thank you
The End