Human organism- an open biological system. The human body is a multi-level system. It consists of organ systems, each organ system is made up of organs, each organ is made up of tissues, and tissues are made up of cells. Each cell is a system of interconnected organelles.

The human body is an open system that constantly exchanges substances and energy with the environment. From it, oxygen enters the body during gas exchange, and along with food, water and nutrients. To the outside, the body removes carbon dioxide, undigested food debris, urine, sweat, and secretions from the sebaceous glands.

Externally, the body receives thermal energy and nutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates), the molecules of which accumulate chemical energy. It is released during the breakdown of these substances in the body. Part of the chemical energy is spent on the process of its life activity, and the excess in the form of heat is returned to the external environment.

Inorganic substances

Among all inorganic substances, the water content in the human body is the highest. It makes up up to 90% of the mass of an embryo and up to 70% of the body mass of an elderly person. Water is a solvent that provides transport of substances in the body. Substances dissolved in water acquire the ability to interact. Water also participates in heat exchange processes between the body and the environment.

The human body contains many inorganic substances. Some of them are present in the form of molecules, such as calcium compounds in bones, substances in the form of ions. Thus, iron ions are involved in the transport of oxygen in the blood, calcium ions are necessary for muscle contraction, and potassium and sodium ions are necessary for the formation and transmission of nerve impulses.

Organic matter

The molecules of many organic substances are made up of blocks - simple organic molecules. All proteins have this structure. They are formed from amino acid molecules. Typically, a chain of amino acids folds into fibrous or club-like structures. This way the protein molecule becomes more compact and takes up less space in the cell.

Every process that occurs in the body involves dozens or even hundreds of different proteins. The proportion of proteins is more than 50% of the dry mass of cells. Some proteins are the building material of cells, others work during muscle contraction, and others protect the body from infections. Almost all chemical reactions in the body occur with the help of enzymes - protein catalysts.

Complex carbohydrates

Like proteins, complex carbohydrates are formed from block molecules. Thus, the blocks of glycogen are molecules of simple carbohydrates - glucose. Glucose in the body plays the role of a source of energy, and glucose reserves are created in the form of glycogen. In combination with proteins and other organic substances, carbohydrates perform a structural function.

Fats

Fats- organic substances insoluble in water. The fat molecule usually contains molecules of glycerol and fatty acids. Fats form the plasma membranes of cells; they accumulate in the cells of adipose tissue, which performs protective functions in the body. Just like glucose, fats are a source of energy. A fat molecule stores more energy than a glucose molecule, but the cell takes much longer to extract energy from fats than from carbohydrates.

Water. Of the inorganic substances that make up the cell, the most important is water. Its amount ranges from 60 to 95% of the total cell mass. Water plays a vital role in the life of cells and living organisms in general. In addition to the fact that it is part of their composition, for many organisms it is also a habitat.

The role of water in a cell is determined by its unique chemical and physical properties, associated mainly with the small size of its molecules, the polarity of its molecules and their ability to form hydrogen bonds with each other.

Water as a component of biological systems performs the following essential functions:

Water is a universal solvent for polar substances, such as salts, sugars, alcohols, acids, etc. Substances that are highly soluble in water are called hydrophilic. When a substance goes into solution, its molecules or ions are able to move more freely; Accordingly, the reactivity of the substance increases. It is for this reason that most chemical reactions in the cell occur in aqueous solutions. Its molecules participate in many chemical reactions, for example in the formation or hydrolysis of polymers. In the process of photosynthesis, water is an electron donor, a source of hydrogen ions and free oxygen.

Water does not dissolve non-polar substances and does not mix with them, since it cannot form hydrogen bonds with them. Substances that are insoluble in water are called hydrophobic. Hydrophobic molecules or parts of them are repelled by water, and in its presence they are attracted to each other. Such interactions play an important role in ensuring the stability of membranes, as well as many protein molecules, nucleic acids, and a number of subcellular structures.

Water has a high specific heat capacity. Breaking the hydrogen bonds that hold water molecules together requires the absorption of a large amount of energy. This property ensures the maintenance of the body's thermal balance during significant temperature changes in the environment. In addition, water has high thermal conductivity, which allows the body to maintain the same temperature throughout its entire volume.

Water is characterized by a high heat of vaporization, i.e., the ability of molecules to carry away a significant amount of heat while simultaneously cooling the body. Thanks to this property of water, which manifests itself during sweating in mammals, thermal shortness of breath in crocodiles and other animals, and transpiration in plants, overheating is prevented.

Water is characterized by exceptionally high surface tension. This property is very important for adsorption processes, for the movement of solutions through tissues (blood circulation, ascending and descending currents in plants). For many small organisms, surface tension allows them to float on water or glide across its surface.

Water ensures the movement of substances in the cell and body, the absorption of substances and the removal of metabolic products.

In plants, water determines the turgor of cells, and in some animals it performs supporting functions, being a hydrostatic skeleton (round and annelids, echinoderms).

Water is an integral part of lubricating fluids (synovial - in the joints of vertebrates, pleural - in the pleural cavity, pericardial - in the pericardial sac) and mucus (facilitate the movement of substances through the intestines, create a moist environment on the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract). It is part of saliva, bile, tears, sperm, etc.

Mineral salts. Inorganic substances in the cell, except water, are precipitated by mineral salts. Salt molecules in an aqueous solution break down into cations and anions. The most important are cations (K+, Na+, Ca2+, Mg:+, NH4+) and anions (C1, H2P04 -, HP042-, HC03 -, NO32--, SO4 2-). Not only the content, but also the ratio of ions is significant in a cage.

The difference between the amounts of cations and anions on the surface and inside the cell ensures the occurrence of an action potential, which underlies the occurrence of nervous and muscle excitation. The difference in ion concentrations on different sides of the membrane determines the active transfer of substances across the membrane, as well as energy conversion.

Phosphoric acid anions create a phosphate buffer system that maintains the pH of the body's intracellular environment at 6.9.

Carbonic acid and its anions form a bicarbonate buffer system that maintains the pH of the extracellular environment (blood plasma) at 7.4.

Some ions are involved in the activation of enzymes, the creation of osmotic pressure in the cell, in the processes of muscle contraction, blood clotting, etc.

A number of cations and anions are necessary for the synthesis of important organic substances (for example, phospholipids, ATP, nucleotides, hemoglobin, hemocyanin, chlorophyll, etc.), as well as amino acids, being sources of nitrogen and sulfur atoms.

As you know, all substances can be divided into two large categories - mineral and organic. You can give a large number of examples of inorganic, or mineral, substances: salt, soda, potassium. But what types of connections fall into the second category? Organic substances are present in any living organism.

Squirrels

The most important example of organic substances are proteins. They contain nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen. In addition to these, sometimes sulfur atoms can also be found in some proteins.

Proteins are among the most important organic compounds and are the most commonly found in nature. Unlike other compounds, proteins have certain characteristic features. Their main property is their huge molecular weight. For example, the molecular weight of an alcohol atom is 46, benzene is 78, and hemoglobin is 152,000. Compared to the molecules of other substances, proteins are real giants, containing thousands of atoms. Sometimes biologists call them macromolecules.

Proteins are the most complex of all organic structures. They belong to the class of polymers. If you examine a polymer molecule under a microscope, you can see that it is a chain consisting of simpler structures. They are called monomers and are repeated many times in polymers.

In addition to proteins, there are a large number of polymers - rubber, cellulose, as well as ordinary starch. Also, many polymers were created by human hands - nylon, lavsan, polyethylene.

Protein formation

How are proteins formed? They are an example of organic substances, the composition of which in living organisms is determined by the genetic code. In their synthesis, in the vast majority of cases, various combinations are used

Also, new amino acids can be formed already when the protein begins to function in the cell. However, it contains only alpha amino acids. The primary structure of the substance being described is determined by the sequence of amino acid residues. And in most cases, when a protein is formed, the polypeptide chain is twisted into a spiral, the turns of which are located close to each other. As a result of the formation of hydrogen compounds, it has a fairly strong structure.

Fats

Another example of organic substances is fats. Man knows many types of fats: butter, beef and fish oil, vegetable oils. Fats are formed in large quantities in plant seeds. If you place a peeled sunflower seed on a sheet of paper and press it down, an oily stain will remain on the sheet.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are no less important in living nature. They are found in all plant organs. The carbohydrate class includes sugar, starch, and fiber. Potato tubers and banana fruits are rich in them. It is very easy to detect starch in potatoes. When reacting with iodine, this carbohydrate turns blue. You can verify this by dropping a little iodine onto a cut potato.

Sugars are also easy to detect - they all taste sweet. Many carbohydrates of this class are found in the fruits of grapes, watermelons, melons, and apples. They are examples of organic substances that are also produced in artificial conditions. For example, sugar is extracted from sugar cane.

How are carbohydrates formed in nature? The simplest example is the process of photosynthesis. Carbohydrates are organic substances that contain a chain of several carbon atoms. They also contain several hydroxyl groups. During photosynthesis, inorganic sugar is formed from carbon monoxide and sulfur.

Cellulose

Another example of organic matter is fiber. Most of it is found in cotton seeds, as well as plant stems and their leaves. Fiber consists of linear polymers, its molecular weight ranges from 500 thousand to 2 million.

In its pure form, it is a substance that has no smell, taste or color. It is used in the manufacture of photographic film, cellophane, and explosives. Fiber is not absorbed by the human body, but is a necessary part of the diet, as it stimulates the functioning of the stomach and intestines.

Organic and inorganic substances

We can give many examples of the formation of organic and second always originating from minerals - non-living ones that are formed in the depths of the earth. They are also found in various rocks.

Under natural conditions, inorganic substances are formed during the destruction of minerals or organic substances. On the other hand, organic substances are constantly formed from minerals. For example, plants absorb water with compounds dissolved in it, which subsequently move from one category to another. Living organisms use mainly organic substances for nutrition.

Reasons for diversity

Often, schoolchildren or students need to answer the question of what are the reasons for the diversity of organic substances. The main factor is that carbon atoms are connected to each other using two types of bonds - simple and multiple. They can also form chains. Another reason is the variety of different chemical elements that are included in organic matter. In addition, diversity is also due to allotropy - the phenomenon of the existence of the same element in different compounds.

How are inorganic substances formed? Natural and synthetic organic substances and their examples are studied both in high school and in specialized higher educational institutions. The formation of inorganic substances is not such a complex process as the formation of proteins or carbohydrates. For example, people have been extracting soda from soda lakes since time immemorial. In 1791, chemist Nicolas Leblanc proposed synthesizing it in the laboratory using chalk, salt, and sulfuric acid. Once upon a time, soda, which is familiar to everyone today, was a rather expensive product. To conduct the experiment, it was necessary to calcinate table salt together with acid, and then calcinate the resulting sulfate along with limestone and charcoal.

Another is potassium permanganate, or potassium permanganate. This substance is obtained industrially. The formation process consists of electrolysis of a solution of potassium hydroxide and a manganese anode. In this case, the anode gradually dissolves to form a purple solution - this is the well-known potassium permanganate.

To the question of substance. what are organic substances and inorganic... the human body consists of what substances? given by the author LEV RYKOV the best answer is Organic substances, organic compounds - a class of compounds that contain carbon (with the exception of carbides, carbonic acid, carbonates, carbon oxides and cyanides). Organic compounds are usually made up of chains of carbon atoms linked together by covalent bonds and various substituents attached to these carbon atoms
An inorganic substance or inorganic compound is a chemical substance, a chemical compound that is not organic, that is, it does not contain carbon (except for carbides, cyanides, carbonates, carbon oxides and some other compounds that are traditionally classified as inorganic). Inorganic compounds do not have the carbon skeleton characteristic of organic compounds.
The human body contains both substances. I already wrote in previous answers to your questions that the main inorganic substances contained in the human body are water and calcium salts (the latter mainly makes up the human skeleton).
Organic compounds are mainly proteins, fats and carbohydrates, in addition, there are complex compounds that act as an intermediate link (for example, hemoglobin - a complex of iron with organic ligands)

Answer from Kirsimarja[guru]
organic substances are compounds of carbon with other elements
inorganic, to put it simply, is what is contained in the periodic table.
The human body contains absolutely all substances, both organic and inorganic

Answer from Helen[guru]
The human body consists of 60% water, 34% organic matter and 6% inorganic matter. The main components of organic substances are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, they also include nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur. In the inorganic substances of the human body, 22 chemical elements are necessarily present: Ca, P, O, Na, Mg, S, B, C1, K, V, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Cr, Si, I ,F,Se. For example, if a person weighs 70 kg, then it contains (in grams): calcium - 1700, potassium - 250, sodium - 70, magnesium - 42, iron - 5, zinc - 3. Living organisms contain various chemicals elements. Conventionally, depending on the concentration of chemical elements in the body, macro- and microelements are distinguished.
Macroelements are considered to be those chemical elements whose content in the body is more than 0.005% of body weight. Macroelements include hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine, potassium, calcium.
Microelements are chemical elements found in the body in very small quantities. Their content does not exceed 0.005% of body weight, and the concentration in tissues does not exceed 0.000001%. Among all microelements, the so-called essential microelements are classified into a special group.
Essential microelements are microelements, the regular intake of which with food or water into the body is absolutely necessary for its normal functioning. Essential microelements are part of enzymes, vitamins, hormones and other biologically active substances. Essential microelements are iron, iodine, copper, manganese, zinc, cobalt, molybdenum, selenium, chromium, fluorine.
The role of macroelements that make up inorganic substances is obvious. For example, the main amount of calcium and phosphorus enters the bones (calcium hydroxyphosphate Ca10(PO4)6(OH) 2), and chlorine in the form of hydrochloric acid is contained in gastric juice.
Microelements are included in the above-mentioned series of 22 elements that are necessarily present in the human body. Note that most of them are metals, and of the metals, more than half are d-elements. The latter form coordination compounds in the body with complex organic molecules.
Characteristic symptoms of deficiency of chemical elements in the human body
Ca Growth slowdown
Mg Muscle cramps
Fe Anemia, immune system disorder
Zn Skin damage, growth retardation, sexual maturation delay
Cu Arterial weakness, liver dysfunction, secondary anemia
Mn Infertility, impaired skeletal growth
Mo Slow cell growth, caries susceptibility
Co Pernicious anemia
Ni Increased incidence of depression, dermatitis
Cr Diabetes symptoms
Si Skeletal growth disorder
F Dental caries
I Thyroid dysfunction, slow metabolism
Se Muscular (particularly cardiac) weakness

Answer from Bogdan Bondarenko[newbie]
name any substances

Answer from Egor Shazam[newbie]

At the end of the ninth century AD, the Arab scientist Abu Bakr ar-Razi divided all substances known at that time into 3 groups depending on their origin: mineral, animal and plant. The classification existed for almost 1000 years. Only in the 19th century did 3 groups turn into 2: organic and inorganic substances.

Inorganic substances

Inorganic substances can be simple or complex. Simple substances are those substances that contain atoms of just one chemical element. They are divided into metals and non-metals.

Metals are plastic substances that conduct heat and electricity well. Almost all of them are silvery-white and have a characteristic metallic sheen. Such properties are a consequence of a special structure. In a metal crystal lattice, metal particles (called atom ions) are connected by mobile shared electrons.

Even those who are far from chemistry can name examples of metals. These are iron, copper, zinc, chromium and other simple substances formed by atoms of chemical elements, the symbols of which are located in D.I. Mendeleev under the B – At diagonal and above it in the main subgroups.

Nonmetals, as their name suggests, do not have the properties of metals. They are fragile, and, with rare exceptions, do not conduct electric current and do not shine (except for iodine and graphite). Their properties are more diverse compared to metals.

The reason for such differences also lies in the structure of the substances. In crystal lattices of atomic and molecular types there are no freely moving electrons. Here they combine in pairs to form covalent bonds. Well-known non-metals - oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus and others. Elements - non-metals in PSCE are located above the B-At diagonal

Complex inorganic substances are:

• acids consisting of hydrogen atoms and acid residues (HNO3, H2SO4);
• bases formed by metal atoms and hydroxo groups (NaOH, Ba(OH)2);
• salts whose formulas begin with metal symbols and end with acidic residues (BaSO4, NaNO3);
• oxides formed by two elements, one of them is O in the oxidation state -2 (BaO, Na2O);
• other binary compounds (hydrides, nitrides, peroxides, etc.)

In total, several hundred thousand inorganic substances are known.

Organic matter

Organic compounds differ from inorganic ones primarily in their composition. If inorganic substances can be formed by any elements of the Periodic Table, then organic substances must certainly include C and H atoms. Such compounds are called hydrocarbons (CH4 - methane, C6H6 - benzene). Hydrocarbon raw materials (oil and gas) bring enormous benefits to humanity. However, it also causes serious discord.

Hydrocarbon derivatives also contain O and N atoms. Representatives of oxygen-containing organic compounds are alcohols and their isomeric ethers (C2H5OH and CH3-O-CH3), aldehydes and their isomers - ketones (CH3CH2CHO and CH3COCH3), carboxylic acids and complex ethers (CH3-COOH and HCOOCH3). The latter also include fats and waxes. Carbohydrates are also oxygen-containing compounds.

Why did scientists combine plant and animal substances into one group - organic compounds and how do they differ from inorganic ones? There is no single clear criterion to separate organic and inorganic substances. Let us consider a number of characteristics that unite organic compounds.

1. Composition (built from atoms C, H, O, N, less often P and S).
2. Structure (C-H and C-C bonds are required, they form chains and cycles of different lengths);
3. Properties (all organic compounds are flammable, forming CO2 and H2O during combustion).

Among organic substances there are many polymers of natural (proteins, polysaccharides, natural rubber, etc.), artificial (viscose) and synthetic (plastics, synthetic rubbers, polyester, etc.) origin. They have a large molecular weight and a more complex structure compared to inorganic substances.

Finally, there are more than 25 million organic substances.

This is just a superficial look at organic and inorganic substances. More than a dozen scientific works, articles and textbooks have been written about each of these groups.

Inorganic compounds - video