C.+Chemical+Composition

==**The levels or organization in the body starts at a tiny microscopic level. A person might think understanding the chemical and cellular aspects of the body would be the easiest, because they are the smallest. Actually they are pretty detailed and can be complicated. The first level of organization for the body is atoms. There are many characteristics of atoms including their composition, different bonds they share, and the numerous traits which define them. Organic molecules which contain certain atoms are found throughout the entire body. There are so many functions that go on inside a human being; it's ironic that smallest functions can have the greatest impact! **== ==Atoms are the tiniest part of chemical elements. Even with a very powerful microscope atoms are still small. There are many parts to an atom that must work together in order for a common goal. The nucleus is the center of the atom which contains neutrons and protons. Protons are positively charged and neutrons carry no charge, or are neutral. The mass number equals the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. On the oustide of the nucleus are electrons which are negatively charged. The electrons are arranged in shells, and the outermost shell is called the valence shell. These three parts of an atom need to work together in order for the atom to work correctly. The basic atomic structure can be seen in the video. == == media type="youtube" key="pV822HfqT44" height="390" width="640" align="center"

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== ==**There are three different types of bonds atoms can form. When one or more atom shares or gives electrons, a chemical bond is formed. An atom can have more then one bond, but that is determined by the number of electrons the atom wants to share or give away. Ionic is the kind of bond when the second atom receives one or more valence electron from the first atom. If the atom becomes positively or negatively charged, it is then called an ion. Covalent bonds are formed when the two atoms share their valence electrons. Now that the atoms are sharing their outermost electrons, they become nonpolar. If the pull is somewhat negative, then the shared atoms become polar because they have a positive and a negative side. The last type of bond is called a hydrogen bond. If a hydrogen atom is bonded with an atom of nitrogen or oxygen the hydrogen atom starts to slightly become positive. Because the hydrogen atom is now partly positive, the next attraction towards another electronegative atom will be weak. The weakness between the two atoms is where the hydrogen bond is formed. These bonds between atoms can be sort of confusing and seem complicated. I find it helpful to think of the bonds like magnets, because the negative repels the negative and the positive is attracted to the negative. It's like the atoms are microscopic magnets. These three different bonds atoms form need to happen in order for homeostasis to occur. These bonds can be somewhat difficult to understand. The video helps to explain how these bonds work. **== == media type="youtube" key="QqjcCvzWwww" height="390" width="480" align="center"

== ==**Organic molecules are broken down into three main categories. The atoms hydrogen and carbon are covalently bonded with each other, and then they attract other carbon atoms which then form long chains or rings. Because hydrogen and carbon are so attracted to each other, the long chains grab other hydrogen atoms on its way around the body. The first organic molecules, carbohydrates, contain monosaccharides which are simple sugars. When more then one monosaccharide is joined together it creats a disaccharide. A polysaccharide is when more then two monosaccharides are put together. **== ==**Lipids are another category of an organic molecule. Lipids come in many different kinds, but the general trait of a lipid is that it is insoluable to water. A triglyceride is a part of a lipid that contains fat and oil. Another subunit of lipids are phospholipids which contain the phosphate group. Steroids are in the lipid category as well with their general characteristic being three six-carbon rings attatched to one five-carbon ring. Prostaglandins are another important part of the lipid group which control many other functions of the body. **== ==**Proteins are made up of amino acids in long chains. The bond between the two amino acids is called a peptide bond. There are twenty amino acids that, when put together, perform different tasks. There are four different levels to a protein molecule. The primary structure is the first level in which each type of protein differs. The secondary structure is made when weak bonds cause the structure to curve instead of being in a straight line or they can be laid out like a pleated sheet. The tertiary structure is very complex in a three-dimensional shape because the bonds are folding amongest themselves. A quaternary structure is a bunch of polypeptide chains bonded with each other. Glycoproteins are carbohydrates and a protein together. Lipoproteins are lipids and proteins combined. **== ==**DNA is pretty familiar to everyone, but knowing what composes it, and the duties DNA performs are way more complex. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the genetic code every human being carries. Nucleic acids form DNA in subunits called nucleotides. Deoxyribose are sugar molecules of DNA that come in four possible bases. The bases that are always paired together are: cytosine and thymine; and guanine and adenine. These four different types of nucleotides come together to form the long chain of DNA. The hydrogen bonding between the bases automatically produces a double strand of DNA. The molecule will then resemble a spiral stairway because it will form a double helix. RNA (ribonucleic acid) is the way DNA controls the activities within the cell. Instead of thymine, RNA contains uracil, and instead of deoxyribose, RNA has ribose. Unlike DNA, RNA is only single-stranded. There are four different kinds of RNA which have different functions. DNA is very complex, and extremely small, but the jobs it completes are amazing. **== ==**In the medical field, in order to understand why something is happening, you have to understand how things happen. As a nurse, if a patient comes in with a problem and we find out it is a rare disorder caused by a mutation in the DNA or some chemicals in the body have been disrupted, I need to know what that means. Every person on this planet is made up of all these chemicals, and microscopic molecules. It wouldn't matter if I was in China being a nurse, or in Africa, everyone is composed of the same material. In order to fully care for a patient, I need to be able to answer questions, and understand what's going on. I need to know how to care for all kinds of people. For instance, if I am seeing a patient who has a schizophrenia, which is a mental illness caused by altered chemicals in the brain, I need to know how those chemicals work and what composes them. Whether it be a mental illness or an unknown illness, chemicals are everywhere in the body. No matter if the problem be big or small, sometimes the problem is hidden on the microscopic level. **==

==**Buffers ultimately maintain a constant concentration of a solution. The concentration can be described as acidic, basic, or neutral. A molecule that gives protons into a solution is called acidic, and a base combines with hydrogen. Changes in hydrogen concentrations will alter the pH of a substance. A buffer is put in place to prevent that altering. Once a substance has been altered, equilibruim is no longer sustained. Buffers are important in the body, because the pH of the body needs to be kept at the same constant rate in order for homeostasis to be maintained. The main circuit system in the body is the blood stream. There are so many ways molecules get into our blood stream. Eating, breathing, drinking, injections, and so on are just a few examples. With all of those ways substances get into our blood, not all of those are good for us and may alter the way the blood stream does its job. The bicarbonate system is the main buffer for the blood. Carbonic acid and bicarbonate ions work together as a team to prevent the shift in the pH of the blood. If the level of pH in the blood gets too low, or too acidic, acidosis occurs. The opposite of acidosis is alkalosis, when the blood becomes too basic. It is so important that the pH level of the blood be maintained because all parts of the body need to receive their vital substances that are brought by the blood. If the pH gets too high, the molecules may be mutated and not perform the proper task, and the same if alkalosis happens. The bicarbonate and carbonic pair keeps the pH of the blood at homeostasis. Enzymes work to speed up the specific process for which they are designed. Proteins are the main structure of an enzyme. For example, when we eat food, there are specific enzymes in our stomachs that help speed up the process for digestion. Without these enzymes, it would take a lot longer and be more difficult for the body to degrade the food. The body needs to keep a constant rate at all times, whether it be for enzymes, buffers, or the pH of the blood. Homeostasis must be completed and maintained. **== == References from top to bottom: [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] ==