Chapter 2
CHEMISTRY – RAW MATERIALS AND FUEL FOR OUR BODIES
Learning Objectives:
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Relate major principles of chemistry to the study of biology
Understand atomic structure
Compare and contrast the major chemical bonds involved in important molecules and compounds
Identify the major macromolecules that make up living organisms
Explain the importance of the function of each of the four major macromolecules
Describe the different categories of carbohydrates and their uses
Compare and contrast different categories of lipids and their structures
Understand the importance of shape in the functioning of a protein
Compare and contrast DNA and RNA
Chapter Outline
I.
Atoms Form Molecules through Bonding
A.
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Understanding chemistry is essential to the study of biology. Learning about chemistry
allows us to understand the necessary building blocks of important molecules and the
chemical reactions that help power a cell
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Long regarded as precious, gold has always been evaluated for its beauty and value.
However, when evaluating gold for its chemical makeup, gold is an example of an
_______________________, or a substance that cannot be broken down further into any
other substance.
Atomic Structure
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Describe the relationship between an atom and an element
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The individual particles or pieces that form the structure of an atom have unique characteristics.
Complete the following chart to highlight the particles that form the structure of an atom.
Particle Type
Charge
Chapter 2: Chemistry: Raw Materials and Fuel For Our Bodies
o Which two parts make up the nucleus of the atom?
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Define the atomic mass of an atom
o Do electrons contribute to the overall mass of the atom? Explain.
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Carbon has an atomic number of six. This number refers to the number of ________________
carbon has. Will any other atom of a different element have the same number? Explain.
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There are many different naturally occurring elements. When examining the human body, we
find we are composed of 25 different elements. Of those 25, only four elements make up
approximate 96% of us! List the “Big 4” here.
1.
2.
3.
4.
B.
Atom’s Electron Shells
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____________________________ determines how and if an atom will bond with other atoms.
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Because the aforementioned particle carries a negative charge, there is a limit to the number that
move around the nucleus of the atom together, or in the same electron shell
o The atom’s first electron shell, which is innermost and closest to the nucleus, can hold
_____ electrons.
o The second and subsequent shells can hold more, or up to ______ electrons
Chapter 2: Chemistry: Raw Materials and Fuel For Our Bodies
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Draw the appropriate umber of electron shells and the appropriate number of electrons in each
shell for carbon. The nucleus of the atom is below. (Hint: Carbon has six electrons)
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Explain why the atom is stable when the outermost electron shell is full?
o What happens if the outermost shell is empty?
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C.
In your own words, briefly describe what an atom has to do to become an ion
Chemical Bonding
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A molecule is a group of _______________________ held together by _______________
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What determines the type of bond that will form between reactive atoms?
Chapter 2: Chemistry: Raw Materials and Fuel For Our Bodies
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Types of bonds – Describe how each bond holds atoms or groups of atoms together and list an
example:
1. Covalent bond:
2. Ionic bond:
3. Hydrogen bond:
D.
Consequences of a Molecule’s Shape
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What determines the shape of a molecule? Use an example.
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What two important senses are impacted by the variation in shape of different molecules?
Explain why,
Chapter 2: Chemistry: Raw Materials and Fuel For Our Bodies
II.
Water Has Features That Enable It to Support All Life
A.
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B.
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Water Molecule Properties and the Hydrogen Bond
Explain the term polar molecule, how organisms such as the Jesus Lizard can take advantage of
surface tension and walk across water.
Properties of Water Make it Critical to Life
List the four important properties of water and then explain how the feature is essential for
living organisms.
1.
2.
3.
4.
C.
Acids, Bases, and pH
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A water molecule can be broken apart releasing ______________ and _____________ ions
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These ions individually can affect the pH of a particular solution. The pH scale measures:
________________________________________________________________________
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A fluid with a pH between 0 and 6.9 would be considered _____________________ and has
more H+ or OH- ions?
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A fluid with a pH between 7.1 and 14 would be considered _____________ and has more H+ or
OH- ions?
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Give your own example of a food or household item that would register as an acid on the pH
scale. Give an example of an item that would register as basic.
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Explain what happens to a solution when you add a buffer.
Chapter 2: Chemistry: Raw Materials and Fuel For Our Bodies
III.
Carbohydrates are Fuel for Living Machines
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A macromolecule can be simply defined as:
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The four major types of macromolecules that are necessary for our cells include:
1.
2.
3.
4. Carbohydrates
a. Carbohydrates are made up of the three following elements:
i.
ii.
iii.
b. All carbohydrates are found with similar composition of an H2O unit for every
carbon. Give the chemical formula for glucose: __________________
c. What is the primary function of carbohydrates in our cells?
i. Explain why carbohydrates are so well-suited for this function.
A.
Monosaccharides
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Monosaccharides are also called ________________________. Give an example of a
monosaccharide with which you are familiar with.
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The glucose from fruit, bread, potatoes, and other carbohydrate sources ends up in the
bloodstream. There are then several potential end results for the glucose circulating in the blood.
Explain the three potential fates:
Chapter 2: Chemistry: Raw Materials and Fuel For Our Bodies
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What is glycogen’s role in “carbo-loading”?
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What does “water weight” have to do with glycogen?
B.
Complex Carbohydrates
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Complex carbohydrates are a source of fuel containing more than one sugar building block.
These include:
A.
___________________________, which are two monosaccharides linked
together and,
B.
___________________________, which are many monosaccharides (even
thousands) linked together.
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Disaccharides
A.
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Give an example of a disaccharide and explain how it is utilized for fuel
Polysaccharides
A.
What is the function of starch in plants?
B.
What is the function of glycogen in humans?
There are unique polysaccharides that are indigestible by humans but can serve as structural
material for various organisms. Give an example of where each of the following are found:
A.
Chitin:
B.
Cellulose
1. Why is cellulose an important part of the human diet even though humans cannot
digest it?
Chapter 2: Chemistry: Raw Materials and Fuel For Our Bodies
IV.
Lipids Store Energy for a Rainy Day
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Lipids are a large, diverse group of macromolecules with important functions. Like other
macromolecules, the structure of lipids includes the elements C, O, and H, but lipids have a
higher ratio of C-H bonds. How does this affect lipids?
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Some important properties of lipids include how they behave in water. Define:
o Hydrophobic
o Hydrophillic
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List three types of lipids and their function
1.
2.
3.
A.
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Fats
The fats were are concerned about in the foods we eat are also called: ____________________
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List the parts of the structure of a triglyceride and label these parts on the symbol below.
Explain the structural difference between a saturated fat and an unsaturated fat.
Chapter 2: Chemistry: Raw Materials and Fuel For Our Bodies
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What is a favorite food of yours that is high in saturated fats?
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What is a favorite food of yours that is high in unsaturated fats?
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Olestra is a fat substitute. It is found in many food products, such as potato chips, that strive to
reduce the fat content in order to make the product more appealing to consumers.
o What is the chemical structure of olestra?
o Are there consequences associated with a diet high in olestra? Explain.
B.
Sterols
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What is the basic structure of all sterols?
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List two important examples
C.
Phospholipids
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Draw the basic structure of a phospholipid
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This category of lipids plays an important role in the cell’s ___________________________.
Chapter 2: Chemistry: Raw Materials and Fuel For Our Bodies
V.
Proteins are Body-Building Molecules
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A.
Proteins are the most diverse group of macromolecules and function to regulate cellular activity,
provide support, and assist in chemical reactions.
Protein Structure
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Proteins are similar to carbohydrates and lipids as they also contain C, O, and H, but they can be
distinguished from these other important macromolecules because they contain ____.
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Despite the large variety of proteins found, they are all composed of the same building blocks.
By connecting different ____________________ together, the result is a unique protein. There
are ______ different amino acids available, just as there are 26 letters in our alphabet to select
from when writing different words.
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Structure of an amino acid
o Identify three main groups that form the structure of the amino acid.
o What makes one amino acid different from another?
B.
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Protein in Your Diet
Our cells require amino acids for various cellular structures and activities. Cells can make some
of the amino acids that are required, but not all of them. Other necessary amino acids are
obtained through the diet. The amino acids we must be certain to include in our diet are called
_______________________________________.
Chapter 2: Chemistry: Raw Materials and Fuel For Our Bodies
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C.
Briefly describe the difference between a complete protein and an incomplete protein.
Protein Shape
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Cells will build protein by linking amino acids together by a ______________________ bond.
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The order of the amino acids as well as the overall structure the protein takes on impacts how
that protein functions.
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The possible shapes, or structure, of proteins are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
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If at any time, something alters the shape of the protein, the protein will no longer be able to
function properly. That, in turn, can affect cellular functioning.
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When a protein is exposed to an extreme environment, such as high temperature or changes in
pH, what is the term that is used to describe what has occurred? ________________________
D.
Enzymes
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One important class of proteins is enzymes. Briefly explain what an enzyme’s job is and if they
can perform their job more than once.
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Only specific substrates can fit in an enzyme’s _________________ site to catalyze a reaction.
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Explain why disease or disorder could result from an enzyme that isn’t formed properly. Include
an example.
Chapter 2: Chemistry: Raw Materials and Fuel For Our Bodies
VI.
Nucleic Acids Store the Information on How to Build and Run a Body
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A.
The fourth major category of important macromolecules is nucleic acids. Two types of nucleic
acids are:
1.
2.
The building blocks for nucleic acids are __________________________.
A nucleotide is made up of three parts:
1.
2.
3.
Each nucleotide can contain one of ____________ different bases. These bases include:
1.
2.
3.
DNA
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Briefly explain the job of DNA in producing proteins.
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Many nucleotides link together to create a strand of DNA. One strand of DNA is bound to a
second strand of DNA by __________________ bonds. These two strands then spiral around
each other forming the structure of DNA known as a __________________________.
It is often easier to draw SNA as if it were a ladder. The vertical uprights of the latter would
include the ________________________ and _________________________. The rungs of the
ladder, or where you would place your foot if you were climbing the ladder would be the
_________________________________.
If you were to examine the structure of DNA in great detail you would start to notice a pattern in
which DNA bases were connected, or how one strand of DNA was bound to the second strand of
DNA. Explain which bases always pair together.
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B.
RNA
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Briefly explain the job of RNA in producing proteins.
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There are three major differences between DNA and RNA. List the ways RNA is unique:
1.
2.
3.
Chapter 2: Chemistry: Raw Materials and Fuel For Our Bodies