Structure of Living Organisms - Biogenic Elements

Vocabulary flashcards covering primary biogenic elements, secondary biogenic elements, trace elements, and their functions based on the lecture notes.

Biogenic Elements

Chemical elements that take part in building the structure of living organisms, classified according to their frequency of occurrence.

Primary Biogenic Elements

Elements present in large quantities in every living cell, comprising Carbon ($\text{C}$), Hydrogen ($\text{H}$), Oxygen ($\text{O}$), and Nitrogen ($\text{N}$).

Carbon

A primary biogenic element capable of forming 4 covalent bonds, stable carbon-carbon bonds, tetrahedral structures with uniform spatial distribution, and linking in unlimited numbers to form open-chain and ring-structured molecules.

Hydrogen

A primary biogenic element that serves as a building block of organic compounds and participates in oxidation-reduction processes involving the transfer of $\text{H}^+$ ions to release energy.

Oxygen

A primary biogenic element that serves as a fundamental building block of organic molecules.

Nitrogen

A primary biogenic element that forms an essential constituent of proteins and nucleic acids.

Secondary Biogenic Elements

Elements present in smaller quantities in living organisms, including $\text{Na}$, $\text{K}$, $\text{Ca}$, $\text{Mg}$, $\text{P}$, $\text{S}$, $\text{Fe}$, and $\text{Cl}$.

Trace Elements

Elements present in small quantities that are nevertheless essential for living organisms, including $\text{I}$, $\text{Cu}$, $\text{Zn}$, $\text{F}$, and $\text{B}$.

Biogenic Compounds

Molecules and compounds produced through the linkage and chemical bonding of biogenic elements.