Name: atomic charges, bonds, and compounds
Uploaded: 2023-06-23T15:38:43.000Z
Duration: 1 min 23 s
Channel: JoVE

Ions are electrically charged atoms that have gained or lost electrons. An atom that loses electrons and becomes positively charged is a cation, while an atom that gains electrons and becomes negatively charged is an anion.
Ions are vital to many physiological processes, such as the transmission of nerve impulses and muscle contraction.
Molecules are combinations of two or more atoms that share electrons. They may consist of atoms of one element, like a molecule of oxygen, or atoms of different elements, like a water molecule.
A compound is a combination of atoms of different elements chemically bonded in a fixed proportion, regardless of whether electrons are transferred or shared.
Ionic compounds are formed by electrostatic interaction between metallic and&#160; nonmetallic ions, as in ordinary table salt, with a sodium cation and a chloride anion bonded together via electrostatic interactions.
Molecular compounds are formed when nonmetal atoms are bonded via covalent bonds. For example, methane is a molecular compound where four hydrogen atoms share electrons with a carbon atom in a specific proportion.

ions, molecules, and compounds

Ions - When an atom participates in a chemical reaction that results in the donation or acceptance of one or more electrons, the atom becomes positively or negatively charged. This frequently happens for most atoms to have a full valence shell. This can happen either by gaining electrons to fill a shell that is more than half-full or by giving away electrons to empty a shell that is less than half-full, thereby leaving the next smaller electron shell as the new, full valence shell. An atom with an electrical charge&#8212;positive or negative&#8212;is an ion.
Potassium (K), for instance, is an important element in all body cells. Its atomic number is 19. It has just one electron in its valence shell. This characteristic makes potassium highly likely to participate in chemical reactions in which it donates one electron. The loss will cause the positive charge of potassium&#39;s protons to be more influential than the negative charge of potassium&#39;s electrons. In other words, the resulting potassium ion will be slightly positive. A positively charged ion is known as a cation.
Another element, fluorine (F), a component of bones and teeth, has an atomic number of nine. It has seven electrons in its valence shell. Fluorine is highly likely to bond with other atoms in such a way that it accepts one electron. When it does, its electrons will outnumber its protons by one, and it will have an overall negative charge. A negatively charged ion is known as an anion.
Ions are critical to normal body function, so their imbalances can lead to health problems. For instance, sodium ion imbalance could cause cardiovascular diseases. Low blood calcium levels can cause tetany &#8212; uncontrollable involuntary muscle contractions.
Molecules - Molecules are simply two or more atoms chemically bonded together. Molecules may consist of atoms of the same element, like a molecule of oxygen gas, formed by bonding between two oxygen atoms, respectively, or molecules may be formed by bonding between atoms of different elements, like a molecule of carbon dioxide gas, formed between oxygen and carbon atoms.
Compounds - A compound is a pure substance formed by bonding two or more atoms in a fixed proportion. For example, the compound glucose is an important body fuel. It is always composed of the same three elements: carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, in the same relative amounts. In glucose, there are always six carbon and six oxygen units for every twelve hydrogen units.
This text is partially adapted from <a href="https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/2-2-chemical-bonds?query=when%20a%20atom%20participates&amp;target=%7B%22type%22%3A%22search%22%2C%22index%22%3A0%7D#fs-id2113058">Openstax, Anatomy and Physiology 2e, Section 2.2 Chemical Bonds</a> and Openstax, <a href="https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/2-1-elements-and-atoms-the-building-blocks-of-matter?query=For%20example%2C%20the%20compound%20glucose%20is%20an%20important%20body%20fuel.%20It%20is%20always%20composed%20of%20the%20same%20three%20elements&amp;target=%7B%22type%22%3A%22search%22%2C%22index%22%3A0%7D#fs-id1882474">Anatomy and Physiology 2e, Section 2.1 Elements and Atoms: The Building Blocks of Matter</a>.

Ions, Molecules, and Compounds

Ions - When an atom participates in a chemical reaction that results in the donation or acceptance of one or more electrons, the atom becomes positively ...

Education

JoVE Core

Anatomy and Physiology

Unit 1

Fundamentals of Chemistry

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

atomic charges, bonds, and compounds

Atoms can gain or lose electrons during chemical reactions and become ions. An ion is an atom with an electrical charge. This charge is positive or negative, and it often helps the atom reach a full valence shell.

Some atoms are more likely to donate electrons, while others are more likely to accept them. Potassium is one example. It has atomic number 19 and one electron in its valence shell, so it is likely to donate that electron and become a slightly positive ion called a cation. Fluorine is another example. It has atomic number 9 and seven electrons in its valence shell, so it is likely to accept one electron and become a negatively charged ion called an anion.

Ions are important for normal body function, so an imbalance can cause health problems. A sodium ion imbalance can contribute to cardiovascular diseases. Low blood calcium levels can also cause tetany, which is marked by uncontrollable involuntary muscle contractions.

Molecules and compounds are related but not the same. A molecule is two or more atoms chemically bonded together. The atoms may be the same element, as in oxygen gas, or different elements, as in carbon dioxide gas. A compound is a pure substance made when two or more atoms bond in a fixed proportion.

Glucose is a useful example of a compound. It is an important body fuel and always contains the same elements in the same relative amounts: carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. In glucose, there are always six carbon units and six oxygen units for every twelve hydrogen units.

Atomic Charges, Bonds, and Compounds

what is matter?

Matter, Mass, and Weight Basics

Matter is the substance that makes up the universe, from a grain of sand to a star. Scientists define matter as anything that occupies space and has mass. Mass is the amount of matter in an object, while weight depends on gravity. Mass stays the same whether an object is on Earth or in the zero-gravity environment of outer space. Weight changes when gravity changes. An object weighs more where gravity is stronger and less where gravity is weaker. A piece of cheese that weighs a pound on Earth...

the periodic table and organismal elements

the-periodic-table-and-organismal-elements

Organismal Elements in the Periodic Table

The periodic table helps identify the elements that make up living organisms. Biology groups these as organismal elements because they are the chemical building blocks of life. These elements are found in different amounts in the body. Some are present in large quantities, while others are needed only in small amounts. The video connects the periodic table to the elements that organisms actually use. Understanding organismal elements helps students link chemistry to biology. It shows how...

atomic structure

From Atomos to the Modern Atom

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chemical symbols

Chemical Symbols and Element Names

Chemical symbols are short abbreviations that stand for an element or a single atom of that element. Mercury, for example, has the symbol Hg. The same symbol can point to one atom of mercury in the microscopic domain or to a sample labeled as many atoms of mercury in the macroscopic domain. Many symbols come from the element’s common name. Others are shortened from a name in another language. Most chemical symbols use one or two letters. For a few elements with atomic numbers above 112,...

atomic number and mass number

Atomic Identity, Mass, and Isotopes

Atomic identity depends on the number of protons in the nucleus, and mass depends on protons and neutrons together. The number of protons is the atomic number, or Z. It defines the element. For example, any atom with six protons is carbon, no matter how many neutrons or electrons it has. In a neutral atom, the number of protons equals the number of electrons. Because of that, the atomic number also tells you the number of electrons in the atom. The total number of protons and neutrons is...

atomic weight

Atomic Mass and Mole Calculations

Atomic mass and mole calculations help explain how much matter is in atoms and compounds. Protons and neutrons have about the same mass, about 1.67 × 10 -24 grams. Scientists define that mass as one atomic mass unit, or amu, also called one Dalton. Electrons are much lighter than protons. They weigh only 9.11 × 10 -28 grams, or about 1/1800 of an atomic mass unit. Because of that small mass, electrons do not add much to an element’s overall atomic mass. When chemists calculate atomic mass,...

isotopes and radioisotopes

Radioisotopes in Medicine and Imaging

Radioisotopes are unstable isotopes that can be used to study the body and treat disease. An isotope is an atom of the same element that has a different mass because it contains a different number of neutrons. It still has the same number of protons, so it remains chemically identical. English chemist Frederick Soddy explained this idea in the early 1900s and later received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1921. Some isotopes have more neutrons than usual and are called heavy isotopes. These...

electron behavior

Electron Shells and Discovery

Electrons are negatively charged subatomic particles that stay near the positively charged nucleus of an atom. They occupy spaces linked to energy levels called shells. They are also arranged into subshells and orbitals within each shell. An electron’s shell shows its general energy level. Electrons closer to the nucleus have less energy, while electrons farther away have more energy. The outer shells have more space, so they can hold more electrons than the inner shells. Subshells describe...

introduction to chemical bonds

How Atoms Bond to Reach Stability

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ionic bonds

Ionic Bonds and Charge Transfer

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covalent bonds

Polar and Nonpolar Covalent Bonds

Covalent bonds form when atoms share electrons to fill their valence shells. The way those shared electrons are pulled depends on electronegativity, which is an atom's tendency to attract electrons in a bond. That difference also helps explain why some molecules are polar and others are nonpolar. Atoms with similar electronegativities form nonpolar covalent bonds. In these bonds, electrons are shared equally, so there is no charge across the molecule. When two atoms have different...

hydrogen bonds

Hydrogen Bonding and DNA Stability

Hydrogen bonding helps explain why some molecules stick together more strongly than others. A hydrogen bond forms when a weakly positive hydrogen atom, already bonded to an electronegative atom, is attracted to another electronegative atom on a nearby polar molecule. Common examples include water, hydrogen fluoride, and ammonia. This attraction happens because hydrogen has a much lower electronegativity than atoms such as fluorine, oxygen, and nitrogen. The electronegativity difference, along...

Atoms can gain or lose electrons during chemical reactions and become ions. An ion is an atom with an electrical charge. This charge is positive or negative, and it often helps the atom reach a full valence shell. Some atoms are more likely to donate electrons, while others are more likely to accept them. Potassium is one example. It has atomic number 19 and one electron in its valence shell, so it is likely to donate that electron and become a slightly positive ion called a cation. Fluorine...

states of matter

Solids, Liquids, Gases, and Plasma

Solids, liquids, gases, and plasma are the main forms of matter described here. Solids are rigid and keep a definite shape. Liquids flow and take the shape of their container, although gravity gives the surface a flat or slightly curved top. Solids and liquids also have volumes that stay nearly the same even when pressure changes. Gases behave differently from solids and liquids. A gas takes both the shape and the volume of its container. In matter with this behavior, the particles are far...

colloids and suspensions

Suspensions, Sedimentation, and Colloids

Suspensions and colloids are two common kinds of mixtures seen in everyday life. Mud and water, flour and water, and tempera paint are suspensions. These mixtures are heterogeneous, which means their particles are not spread out evenly. The particles are relatively large and can be seen with the naked eye or a magnifying glass. Suspension particles make mixtures cloudy, and they settle out after mixing. The settling of particles in a suspension is called sedimentation. A blood test can measure...

introduction to chemical reactions

Chemical Reaction Basics and Equilibrium

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types of chemical reactions: anabolic and catabolic

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Anabolism, Catabolism, and ATP Use

Anabolism and catabolism are the two main kinds of metabolic reactions in the body. Metabolism is the total set of anabolic and catabolic reactions that keep life running. These reactions follow the first law of thermodynamics, which says energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can only change form. Anabolism builds larger, more complex molecules from smaller ones. These anabolic, or biosynthesis, reactions need energy in the form of ATP. They join monosaccharides into polysaccharides, fatty...

types of chemical reactions: exchange and reversible

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Electron Transfer and Chemical Equilibrium

Exchange reactions and reversible reactions are two important ideas in chemistry. In an exchange reaction, synthesis and decomposition happen at the same time. Chemical bonds are both formed and broken. These reactions can absorb chemical energy, store it, and release it. A special type of exchange reaction is the oxidation-reduction reaction, or redox reaction. In a redox reaction, electrons move from one compound to another. The electrons often come from hydrogen atoms, which contain one...

energy transfer in chemical reactions

Chemical Energy and Reaction Types

Chemical reactions depend on energy transfer, chemical bonds, and the way matter collides. A reaction needs enough energy for particles to meet with the right force and precision. That energy can break old bonds and help form new ones. Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. A person lifting a brick uses kinetic energy to move the brick into place on a wall. Once the wall is built, it stores potential energy, which is the energy of position or structure. If the wall falls, that stored energy...

factors influencing the rate of chemical reactions

factors-influencing-the-rate-of-chemical-reactions

Chemical Reaction Rates and Catalysts

Chemical reaction rates depend on how often particles collide and whether those collisions have enough energy to start a reaction. That starting energy is called activation energy. Factors that affect reaction rate either lower that energy or make successful collisions more likely. Concentration and pressure can speed reactions up because they put more particles in the same space. When more particles are present, they are more likely to bump into one another. Chemists can also increase...

acids, bases and neutralization reactions

How pH Affects Cells and Digestion

Acids, bases, and pH help control how cells and body systems work. In biology, pH can strongly affect enzymes, proteins, and nucleic acids. Enzymes work best within a certain pH range, and pH changes can alter their structure or denature them, which changes how they function. Acids release hydrogen ions, or H+, in solution. A hydrogen ion is a proton, so it is very reactive in chemical reactions. Strong acids release all of their H+ in water and ionize completely. Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is a...

key terms and concepts

Learn how atoms become ions, why cations and anions form, and how molecules and compounds differ using potassium, fluorine, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and glucose.

Atomic Charges, Bonds, and Compounds | JoVE K12

anatomy and physiology

JoVE Core Anatomy and Physiology showcases the anatomical and physiological details of the human body in comprehensive, clear, and engaging video animations. This collection of lessons focuses on the structures, components, functions, and requirements of the human body. It is complemented by scientist-in-action videos that demonstrate the application of this knowledge in real-world medical and research settings.

Atomic Charges, Bonds, and Compounds

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