Why study chemistry in an anatomy and physiology course? The answer is simple. Your entire body is made up of chemicals, thousands of them, continuously interacting with one another at an incredible pace. Although it is possible to study anatomy without much reference to chemistry, chemical reactions underlie all physiological processes—movement, digestion, the pumping of your heart, and even your thoughts. This chapter presents the basic chemistry and biochemistry (the chemistry of living material) you need to understand body functions.
Part A Chemistry Comes Alive Anything that has mass and occupies space States of matter: Solid—definite shape and volume Liquid—definite volume, changeable shape Gas—changeable shape and volume Capacity to do work or put matter into motion Types of energy: ◦Kinetic—energy in action ◦Potential—stored (inactive) energy PLAY Animation: Energy Concepts Chemical energy—stored in bonds of chemical substances Electrical energy—results from movement of charged particles Mechanical energy—directly involved in moving matter Radiant or electromagnetic energy—exhibits wavelike properties (i.e., visible light, ultraviolet light, and Xrays) Energy can neither be created nor destroyed (1st law of thermodynamics) Energy may be converted from one form to another Conversion is inefficient because some energy is “lost” as heat Elements ◦Cannot be broken down by ordinary chemical means ◦Each has unique properties: Physical properties Are detectable with our senses, or are measurable Chemical properties How atoms interact (bond) with one another Atoms ◦Unique building blocks for each element Atomic symbol: one or twoletter chemical shorthand for each element Eg: Copper Cu Sulfur S Iron Fe Potassium K Mercury Hg Phosphorus P Gold Au Iodine I Oxygen (O) Carbon (C) Hydrogen (H) Nitrogen (N) About 96% of body mass About 3.9% of body mass: ◦calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulfur (S), sodium (Na), chlorine (Cl), magnesium (Mg), iodine (I), and iron (Fe)