Molecules of
Life
Section 3.3
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What do we know?
 What
elements do the symbols C, H, O,
and N represent?
 In your group, Write the names of these
elements on a piece of paper. Then list as
many things (both living and nonliving) as
you can that contain each element.
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Organic Compounds
 Organic
Compounds- almost all
compounds containing carbon.
 Living things also contain inorganic
compounds (do not contain carbon).
 Four groups of organic compounds are
important to living things:




Carbohydrates
Proteins
Nucleic Acids
Lipids
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bb/Acetic_acid_atoms.svg/2000px-Acetic_acid_atoms.svg.png
Proteins
 Made


Amino Acid- simple molecules that contain
C, O, H, and N. (20 different amino acids)
Specific amino acid and their arrangement
determine the shape of the protein.
 Cells



up of long chains of amino acids
use proteins to:
Build and repair body parts
Speed up chemical reactions
Protect the body from disease
 Human
body contains more than 100,000
different types of protein molecules, each
with its own function.
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Carbohydrates
 Most
living things use carbohydrates to
store energy.
 Made up of: Carbon, Hydrogen, and
Oxygen atoms.
 Two classes of Carbohydrates:


Starches (complex carb. molecules)
Sugars (simple carb. Molecules)
 Sugars
and starches are broken down into
simple sugars in living things.

Simple sugars- (glucose) provide fuel for
energy.
http://macromoleculesproject.wikispaces.com/file/view/glucose_and_fructose.gif/173601531/glucose_and_fructose.gif
Lipids
 Contain:
Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen
 Lipids do no mix with water.
 Three types of lipids: fats, oils, and waxes.
 Body uses lipids for energy storage,
drawing on them when carbohydrates
are not available.
 Lipids can contain twice the amount of
energy as the same amount of
carbohydrate.
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/graphics/bio104/fatty%20acid%20green.jpg
Nucleic Acids
 Large
organic molecules that store and
process the information the cell needs to
carry out its activities.
 Stored information is copied and passed
along to new generations.
 Two types: DNA and RNA


DNA stores the information
RNA-where DNA is copied to be
transported to other parts of the cell.
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What have we learned?
What are organic compounds? Name and
describe three types of organic compounds.
Why are nucleic acids important to living
things?
What might happen if you did not eat
enough foods high in carbohydrates?
Decide if the following substances contain
carbon compounds. Explain your
conclusions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Water
Ketchup
Apple
Table salt
Sand
Butter
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