? 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. Lecture Presentations byNicole Tunbridge and Kathleen Fitzpatrick Chapter 2The Chemical Context of Life 1 A Chemical Connection to Biology Biology is the study of life Organisms and their environments are subject to basic laws of physics and chemistry One example is the use of formic acid by ants to protect themselves against predators and microbial parasites ? 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 2 Concept 2.1: Matter consists of chemical elements in pure form and in combinations called compounds Organisms are composed of matter Matter is anything that takes up space and has mass ? 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 3 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