Summary

Matter is anything that occupies space and has mass. It is made up of atoms of different elements. Elements that occur naturally have unique qualities that allow them to combine in various ways to create compounds or molecules. Atoms, which consist of protons, neutrons, and electrons, are the smallest units of an element that retain all of the properties of that element. Electrons can be donated or shared between atoms to create bonds, including ionic, covalent, and hydrogen bonds. The pH of a solution is a measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions in the solution. Living things are carbon-based because carbon plays a prominent role in the chemistry of living things.

A cell is the smallest unit of life. Most cells are so small that they cannot be viewed with the naked eye. The unified cell theory states that all organisms are composed of one or more cells, the cell is the basic unit of life, and new cells arise from existing cells. Each cell runs on the chemical energy found mainly in carbohydrate molecules (food), and the majority of these molecules are produced by one process: photosynthesis. Through photosynthesis, certain organisms convert solar energy (sunlight) into chemical energy, which is then used to build carbohydrate molecules. Directly or indirectly, photosynthesis provides most of the energy required by living things on Earth. Photosynthesis also results in the release of oxygen into the atmosphere. In short, humans depend almost entirely on the organisms that carry out photosynthesis to eat and breathe.

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Chapter attributions:

Essentials of Environmental Science by Kamala Doršner is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Concepts of Biology by OpenStax is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Modified from original by Matthew R. Fisher.

“Levels of Organization of Living Things” by Open Stax is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Modified from the originals by Matthew R. Fisher.