Lesson 1 - Chemistry of Life

Introduction
 

Getting Started

"A knowledge of chemistry is also necessary to our understanding of any particular organism. The structure and shape of the organic compounds making up our bodies can influence our haelth, and determine if we are well or suffering from an illness. Only a knowledge of chemistry offers the hope that one day diseases will be curable."


Focus on Learning
 
Use the course competencies listed below to focus your learning and use the lesson objectives to sharpen that focus.
 
Competencies By the end of the lesson , you should be able to:

  1. Describe principles of biological chemistry.
 
Objectives

To master the competencies, you should seek to understand how:

  1. Water functions as a solvent.
  2. Hydrogen ion concentrations are measured using the pH.
  3. Living things are sensitive to pH.
  4. The characteristics of organic molecules depend on the chemistry of carbon.
  5. Large organic molecules called polymers form when specific monomers join together.
  6. Carbohydrates function as energy sources, for energy storage, and as structural components of cells.
  7. Lipids function for energy storage, as hormones, and as structural components of cell membranes.
  8. Proteins function as enzmes, for transport, as hormones, and as structural and contractile fibers.
  9. Proteins have levels of organization resulting in particular shapes.
  10. Nucleic acids function as hereditary material, direct protein synthesis, and carry energy.


Reading Assignments
 
Reading Assignment Reading is a very important component of an internet course. Read the assigned pages from your textbook before proceeding to the Activities, Study Help, and Assessment Sections.
 
Textbook Read the Assignment in Mader Biology Textbook:
Basic Chemistry: Chapter 2
The Chemistry of Organic Molecules: Chapter 3


Activities
 
Complete the Animation Activities. Feel free to open your book and notes as you work on them. The information in these activities is very helpful when completing the Animation Quiz that follows.
 
Animations
Complete the Animation Activities by Clicking the Links Below:
Animation Activity 1- Water as a Solvent
Animation Activity 2- pH Scale
Animation Activity 3 - Disaccharides
Animation Activity 4 - Fats
Animation Activity 5 - Peptide Bond
Animation Activity 6 - DNA Structure
Animation Activity 7 - Protein Denaturation
Animation Activity 8 - Nano Bones
 
Complete the Virtual Lab Activity. Feel free to open your books and notes as you work on it. Complete the activity by reading the instructions, performing the lab exercise, downloading the post lab quiz and report and filling it out. Be sure to complete and print out the data table embedded in each lab exercise. The information in this lab activity is very helpful when completing the Virtual Lab Quiz and Worksheet that follow.
 
Virtual Lab
Complete the Virtual Lab Activity by Clicking the Link Below:
Virtual Lab Activity: Nutrition


Study Help

 
It's time to review and practice what you have learned from your reading and instruction activities. Slide presentations, Chapter Outlines, Flashcards, and Student Learning Outcomes are provided to help you study. Feel free to open your book and notes as you use them.
 
Slide Presentation
Log-in to BlackBoard, navigate to the Textbook Reading Folder, click into the Reading Review Slide Presentation Folder, and click the Slide Presentation Link:
Slide Presentation - Chapter 2, 3 Mader Web Presentation
 
Practice Quiz
Log-in to BlackBoard, navigate to the Textbook Reading Folder, and click the Reading Practice Quiz Link:
Reading Practice Quiz - Chapter 2, 3


Assessing Your Learning

 
It's time to assess what you have learned from your reading and instruction activities. The following reading, animation, virtual lab, and essay quizzes are graded assignments. Feel free to open your book and notes as you work on them. Be sure to submit your work as you complete it. Good luck!
 
Reading Quiz
Log-in to BlackBoard, navigate to the Textbook Reading Folder, and click the Reading Quiz Link:
Reading Quiz - Chapter 2, 3
 
Animation Quiz
Log-in to BlackBoard, navigate to the Animations Folder, and click the Animation Quiz Link:
Animation Quiz - 1
 
Virtual Lab Quiz
Log-in to BlackBoard, navigate to the Virtual Lab Folder, and click on Virtual Lab Quiz Links:
Virtual Lab Quiz and Worksheet - 1
 
Essay Quiz
Log-in to BlackBoard, navigate to the Essay Quiz Folder, and click on the Essay Link:
Essay Quiz - 1



Related Web Sites

 
Here is a website that I like. Click the icon to pursue this topic on the internet:

Have You Met The Objectives For This Lesson?