Because all living organisms are made up of atoms, chemical reactions take place continually in plants and animals, including humans. The uniqueness of organic chemistry stems from chain polymers. Life could not exist without the ability of some chemicals to join together, repetitively, to form large, complex molecules. Concepts learned in this standard set are critical for understanding fully the chemistry of the cells of organisms, genetics, ecology, and physiology that will be taught in the high school biology/life sciences standard sets.