ELEMENT ATOMIC # ATOMIC WEIGHT VALENCE ELECTRONS COVALENT BONDS H hydrogen 1 1 C carbon 6 12 N nitrogen 7 14 O oxygen 8 16 P phosphorus 15 31 S sulfur 16 32 1 4 5 6 5 6 1 4 3 2 3 2 SPONCH Facts CHAPTER 2: THE CHEMICAL CONTEXT OF LIFE Chapter 2: The Chemical Context of Life ?Devil?s Gardens? Overview: A Chemical Connection to Biology Biology is a multidisciplinary science Living organisms are subject to basic laws of physics and chemistry One example is the use of formic acid by ants to maintain ?devil?s gardens,? stands of Duroia trees Sodium Chlorine sodium chloride- a compound Elements and Compounds Matter is made up of elements An element is a substance that cannot be broken down to other substances by chemical reactions