Chapter 2 The Molecules of Life
Overview
Alllivingorganismsarebuiltofchemicals;thustounderstandthefunctionandstructureof microorganisms,itisnecessarytounderstandtheirchemistry. Thischapterpresentsthe basicconceptsofchemistryasitrelatestothebiologicalsciences,withaslanttowards topicsandterminologyimportantformicrobiology. Thechapterincludesanintroduction toatomsandthemajorelementsoforganiccompounds,chemicalbonding,special propertiesoftheH2Omolecule,andpH. Thechaptercloseswithadiscussionofthe4major classesoforganiclargemoleculesfoundincells:carbohydrates,lipids,proteins,andnucleic acids(ATPisincludedinthelatterclass). Thestructureandfunctionofthemostimportant moleculesfoundinmicroorganismsispresented
Thecasepresentationdiscussesapatientwithlactoseintolerance,andfocusesontherole ofbacteriainproducinglactoseintolerancesymptoms,aswellasdiagnosisofthis condition.
Learning Objectives
Thesearetakenfromthelearningoutcomeheadingsofeachchaptersection–instructors mayfinditusefultouseand/ormodifythesetoprovidestudentswithaframeworkfor makingastudyguide.
Afterstudyingthematerialinthischapter,youshouldbeableto:
1.Describethegeneralstructureofanatomanditsisotopes.
2.Describetheimportanceofvalenceelectrons.
3.Compareandcontrastionicbonds,covalentbonds,andhydrogenbonds.
4.Explaintheroleofanenzymeinchemicalreactions.
5.Describethepropertiesofwater,andexplainwhyitissoimportantinbiological systems.
6.ExplaintheconceptofpH,andhowthepHofasolutionrelatestoitsacidity.
7.Describetheroleofbuffers.
8.Describethecharacteristicsofthedifferentgroupsofcarbohydrates.
9.Compareandcontrastthestructureandfunctionofsimplelipids,compoundlipids,and steroids.
10.Compareandcontrastthefactorsthataffectproteinstructureandfunction.
11.Compareandcontrastthechemicalcompositions,structures,andmajorfunctionsof DNA,RNA,andATP.