Students will start the second unit of the year this week: The chemistry of life. It roughly follows chapters 3, 8 and 9 from the text and will probably end around Nov 30 with their next big test.
Some of the big questions on which we'll be focusing this unit are
1. What are ATP, sugar, protein and DNA molecules?
2. How are they made and used in a cell?
3. What are molecules and chemical reactions in general?
4. How can chemistry explain how the celll membrane lets some chemicals in and out of the cell?
5. Atoms are cells are both "building blocks." What's the difference? Which is smaller?
6. What chemicals are essential for life?
7. Homeostasis is the maintanance of controlled conditions in living things. What roles do chemistry play in this?
