Examining Basic Chemical Molecules

Examining Basic Chemical Molecules — page 1
INTRODUCTION life on Earth is composed of a basic set of All chemical components The most fundamental fundamental of these are water H2O charged particles known as ions and small molecules namely nucleic acids amino acids fatty acids and carbohydrates Small molecules are of special significance in understanding understanding the structure function and behaviour of living things particularly because they have such enormous influence on the biochemical phenomena phenomena from genetically programmed activities to physical appearance that characterize organisms Of the small molecules nucleic acids are among the most fundamental They combine to form an organism’s genetic code therefore they determine an organism’s genetic makeup which in turn governs governs physical makeup Nucleic acids are also the molecules of evolution susceptible to change in response to environmental factors thereby enabling adaptation and survival For life to persist after becoming established there must have been polymers polymers long-stranded molecules capable of replicating 8