The Building Blocks of Molecules Matter is anything that occupies space and has mass. It is made up of atoms of different elements. All of the 92 elements that occur naturally have unique qualities that allow them to combine in…

Learning Objectives By the end of this section, you will be able to: The large molecules necessary for life that are built from smaller organic molecules are called biological macromolecules. There are four major classes of biological macromolecules (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins,…

Learning Objectives By the end of this section, you will be able to: Do you ever wonder why scientists spend time looking for water on other planets? It is because water is essential to life; even minute traces of it…

Learning Objectives By the end of this section, you will be able to: At its most fundamental level, life is made up of matter. Matter occupies space and has mass. All matter is composed of elements, substances that cannot be broken down or…

Learning Objectives By the end of this section, you will be able to: Figure 1.14 Formerly called blue-green algae, the (a) cyanobacteria seen through a light microscope are some of Earth’s oldest life forms. These (b) stromatolites along the shores of Lake…

Learning Objectives By the end of this section, you will be able to: Biology is the science that studies life. What exactly is life? This may sound like a silly question with an obvious answer, but it is not easy to…