Organization of Living Matter – Introduction to fundamental concepts of Biological Science including the organization and common characteristics of living matters, cell structures and functions, food production by photosynthesis, harvesting energy, mechanism of cells reproduction, genetics, evolutions, and Human Biology. Introduction to general chemistry including basic concepts about matter, atomic structure, chemical bonds, gases, liquid, and solids, solutions, chemical reactions, acid, bases, and salt;
organic and biochemistry including hydrocarbons and their derivatives, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals, nucleic acids; principles of physics and applications to nursing including gravity and mechanics, pressure, heat and electricity; nuclear chemistry and nuclear physics, effects of radiation on human beings, and protection and disposal. The aim of the course is to acquire knowledge and skills in general biological science, general chemistry and physics.
Organization of Living Matter
Cells are made up of complex assemblies of cytoskeletal proteins that facilitate force transmission from the molecular to cellular scale to regulate cell shape and force generation. The “living matter” formed by the cytoskeleton facilitates versatile and robust behaviors of cells, including their migration, adhesion, division, and morphology, that ultimately determine tissue architecture and mechanics. Elucidating the underlying physical principles of such living matter provides great opportunities in both biology and physics.
For physicists, the cytoskeleton provides an exceptional toolbox to study materials far from equilibrium. For biologists, these studies will provide new understanding of how molecular-scale processes determine cell morphological changes.
Types of Matter According to Life
A. Living things/matter: Living things are the creatures that are alive and compose of tiny particles, i.e. cells
Example
- Plants,
- Animals,
- Fungi
- Protists,
- Archaea, and
- Bacteria.
B. Non-living things/matter: A thing that is dead or without life; an inanimate body or object
Example: Table, Chair, Pen, Glass
Elements of Living Matter:
1. Carbon. (C)
2. Hydrogen. (H)
3. Oxygen. (O)
4. Nitrogen. (N)
Carbon.
All known living organisms on Earth are carbon-based organisms. Carbon is essential to life because of its ability to hold up to four stable bonds at a time, meaning it can form a larger variety of molecules and compounds than any other element found in living organisms, and thus it is often in the middle of a complex chain of elements.
Hydrogen
Much like carbon, hydrogen is ubiquitous to molecules that form the basic components of life. Indeed, hydrogen is essential because it easily bonds with carbon. This is because hydrogen effectively serves as a linking element between the carbon base of a chain and other elements; hydrogen’s high level of electronegativity is what allows it to play this role.
Oxygen
Oxygen serves several purposes in a living organism. Much like hydrogen, it combines easily with carbon, and because a neutral atom of oxygen has eight electrons, an oxygen atom easily combines with more hydrogen atoms to create a complex chain when forming fats or proteins.
Nitrogen
Despite only making up about 1 percent of a human being’s total atoms, nitrogen is essential to both human and other organic life because it, alongside carbon, is found in all proteins.
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