An Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology
Chapter Two: Life: The World’s Biggest Chemistry Experiment
Introduction:
As you recall, the organization of living things goes, in order from least-complex to most-complex units, something like this:
Atoms → Molecules → Macromolecules → Organelles → Cells → Tissues → Organs → Organ Systems → Organisms
Since atoms are the fundamental subunits of which organisms are composed, if we wish to understand the structure and the functions of living organisms, we must gain a basic understanding of what atoms are and how they interact to form more complex structures.
The ways that atoms interact with each other determines what organisms can and cannot do. For example, the strength of the chemical bonds that hold atoms together in molecules sets an upper limit on how strong and how durable organisms can be. No creature can be stronger than the chemical bonds that hold it together. Sorry, Superman, but in the real world you simply couldn’t exist.
Another sad victim of the pitiless laws of physics.
Introduction
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