SOL 2 - Chemicals and Biochemical Principles Essential for Life

How are chemistry and biology linked together?

Unit Summary: This unit examines the role that the interaction of elements and molecules play in biological systems. Students will examine the unique properties of water to help them understand why the presence of water is the first indicator of the presence of life. They will also look at how larger molecules are assembled and how they are utilized in sustaining life processes at the cellular level. A second subdivision of this unit will explore the molecules and chemical processes for the collection and distribution of energy needed to sustain life, from its solar and chemical origins to the various types of cellular respiration.