For biology purposes, atoms are the smallest units of matter. Matter: things that have mass (contrast with energy) Atoms contain subatomic particles that are even smaller. PROTONS: positively charged, located in the nucleus, 1 amu NEUTRONS: neutral, located in the nucleus, 1 amu ELECTRONS: negatively charged, orbiting the nucleus, 0 amu

Electrons are attracted to the positively charged nucleus. Electrons remain outside the nucleus because of the energy of their motion. Because they contain equal numbers of electrons and protons, atoms are neutral. Atoms with unbalanced numbers of protons and electrons are called ions. Why is the nucleus positively charged? Because it contains only + and neutral particles.

 A chemical element is a pure substance that consists entirely of one type of atom. Elements are represented by a one or two-letter symbol. Ca stands for calcium. Na stands for sodium. Au stands for gold. Can you name the first 10 elements? HHeLi BeBC NOFNOF Ne

The number of protons in an atom of an element is the element's atomic number.  More than 100 elements are known, but only about two dozen are commonly found in living organisms.  Hydrogen, Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Potassium and Sodium are the most meaningful for this course. They serve many purposes in the human body.

Atoms of the same element (same number of protons) that differ in the number of neutrons they contain are known as isotopes. The sum of the protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom is called its mass number. Isotopes are identified by their mass numbers. For example, carbon has three isotopes—carbon-12, carbon-13, and carbon-14. Each isotope has a different number of neutrons.

If you remember nothing else about them…  IONS: Different number of ELECTRONS  (So, different CHARGE)  ISOTOPES: Different number of NEUTRONS  (So, different MASS)

In nature, most elements are found combined with other elements in compounds. A chemical compound is a substance formed by the chemical combination of two or more elements in definite proportions. The physical and chemical properties of a compound are different from the elements from which it is formed. NaHCO 3 = Baking Soda C 12 H 22 O 11 = Sucrose H 2 SO 4 = Sulfuric Acid

The composition of compounds is shown using its chemical formulas. Water (H 2 O) contains two atoms of hydrogen for each atom of oxygen. The formula for table salt (NaCl) indicates that sodium and chlorine combine in a 1 : 1 ratio.

The atoms in compounds are held together by chemical bonds. Bonding involves the activity of the electrons of each atom. The electrons that are available to form bonds are called valence electrons.

 The main types of chemical bonds are: ionic bonds (between metals & nonmetals) covalent bonds (between nonmetals)

An ionic bond is formed when one or more valence electrons are transferred from one atom to another. An atom that loses electrons has a positive charge. It’s a cation. An atom that gains electrons has a negative charge. It’s an anion. The positively and negatively charged atoms themselves are simply called ions.

Sometimes electrons are shared by atoms instead of being transferred. Sharing electrons means that the moving electrons actually travel in the orbitals of both atoms. Methane

 A covalent bond forms when electrons are shared between atoms. When the atoms share two electrons, the bond is called a single covalent bond. When atoms share four electrons it is called a double bond. When atoms share six electrons it is called a triple bond.

 The structure that results when atoms are joined together by covalent bonds is called a molecule.  A molecule is the smallest unit of most compounds.

 In a water molecule, each hydrogen atom forms a single covalent bond with the oxygen atom.

When molecules are close together, a slight attraction can develop between the oppositely charged regions of nearby molecules. Chemists call such intermolecular forces of attraction van der Waals forces, after the scientist who discovered them.

 For example, van der Waals forces form between the molecules on the surface of a gecko’s foot and the molecules on the surface of the wall.  The combined strength of all the van der Waals forces allows the gecko to grip the wall.