Final answer:
The principles of chemistry explain various functions in an organism such as cellular respiration, DNA replication, and photosynthesis. These biochemical processes involve chemical reactions essential for energy transformation and metabolism within the cell.
Step-by-step explanation:
The functions in an organism that can be explained by the principles of chemistry include cellular respiration, DNA replication, and photosynthesis. Cellular respiration is a set of metabolic reactions that convert bioavailable energy from nutrients into the adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and then release waste products. DNA replication involves a variety of chemical reactions where the DNA makes copies of itself before cell division. Photosynthesis is a process by which plants and other organisms convert light energy, usually from the sun, into chemical energy that can be used to fuel the organism's activities.
All these processes are fundamental biochemical reactions and can be described using the language of chemistry, as they involve changes in energy states, electron transfer (oxidation-reduction reaction), the formation (anabolic reaction) and breaking down (catabolic reaction) of complex molecules. The sum of all these chemical reactions in an organism constitutes its metabolism.
Specifically, photosynthesis and cellular respiration are interconnected processes where photosynthesis produces glucose and oxygen that are later used in cellular respiration to generate ATP. Cells use this ATP to carry out various functions. Moreover, all living organisms are made up of cells that contain DNA, which is replicated through a series of chemical reactions to ensure genetic information is passed on to daughter cells.