Inorganic & organic chemistry of Plants

                                              Inorganic & organic chemistry of plants

I.              Life and chemistry

                A.            What elements are important in plants?

                                1.             C                             7.             S                             13.          Cu

                                2.             H                             8.             Ca                           14.          Zn

                                3.             O                             9.             Fe                            15.          Cl

                                4.             P                             10.          Mg                          16.          Mo

                                5.             K                             11.          B                            

                                6.             N                             12.          Mn

                                C HOPKNS CaFe Mg B Mn CuZn Cl Mo

                                C, H, O, N, P, S - 99% of (many) plant's weight

                                C, H, & O - 96% of Human weight

                                Water (H₂O) - 75 - 85% of cell weight

                B.            What makes elements important?

                                1.             Metabolism

                                                a)             Anabolism (build) - photosynthesis

                                                b)             Catabolism (break down) - respiration

                                2.             Heredity and evolution

                                3.             Growth and development

                                4.             Growth regulation

                                5.             Physiological ecology

II.            General chemistry

                A.            Composition of elements

                                1.             Atoms - smallest portion of an element

                                                a)             Protons

                                                b)             Electrons

                                                c)             Neutrons

                B.            Function of atoms

                                1.             Electron excitation (energy)

                                2.             Chemical bonds

                                                a)             Covalent - share electrons

                                                b)             Ionic - charges attract

                                                c)             Hydrogen - weak attraction of H & O

                C.            Important chemical phenomena

                                1.             Acid / base   pH = -log[H⁺]  

                                                a)             Equilibrium

                                                b)             Availability & solubility of ions   pH = pKa + log[products/reactants]

                                                c)             Buffering capacity

                                2.             Oxidation / reduction

                                                a)             Donate / accept electrons

III.           Types of chemistry

                A.            Inorganic - elements & ions

                B.            Organic - alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, aromatics, alcohols, amines, etc.

                                1.             Biochemistry