LR1 Building Blocks 1

Key Building Blocks of the Human Body

  • Major Elements: Oxygen (O), Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H), Nitrogen (N) are fundamental.

    • Oxygen: Essential for respiration and energy production.

    • Carbon: Key building component found in all organic molecules.

    • Hydrogen: Critical for water molecules and energy transfer.

    • Nitrogen: Excreted as waste via urine.

Fundamental Concepts of Matter

  • Matter: Everything observable, made up of atoms.

    • Atoms are traditionally considered the smallest building blocks of matter.

    • Molecules: Formed from two or more atoms.

  • Understanding chemistry facilitates grasping the human body's functions.

Atom Structure

  • Components: Atoms consist of protons (positive), neutrons (neutral), and electrons (negative).

    • Nucleus: Contains protons and neutrons; electrons orbit around it in shells.

    • Overall neutral charge if protons and electrons are equal.

Elements and the Periodic Table

  • Essential Elements: ~24 elements are vital, but only a few dominate (O, C, H, N).

    • Element Representation: Atomic number indicates the number of protons.

    • Example: Carbon (C) = atomic number 6.

  • Body Weight Composition:

    • O: 65%

    • C: 18%

    • H: 10%

    • N: 3%

    • Ca: 1.5%, important for bones/muscles.

Chemical Interactions

  • Chemical Bonds:

    • Ionic Bonds: Transfer of electrons, seen in bones and teeth.

    • Covalent Bonds: Sharing of electrons, prevalent in biological molecules.

    • Hydrogen Bonds: Weak attractions crucial for protein and DNA structure.

  • Polar vs Nonpolar Molecules:

    • Nonpolar: Equal sharing (e.g., O2).

    • Polar: Unequal sharing (e.g., H2O).

      • Water is a polar molecule, drives solubility for glucose.

Importance of Chemistry in Health

  • Nursing practice involves understanding chemical properties (e.g., blood tests, ECG).

  • The interplay between soil nutrients, plants, and human nutrition highlights biochemical connections to health.