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Name: _________________________
Date: __________
Unit 2: Ecological Biochemistry
2B Biochemistry Part 1
NOTES
Organic Chemistry
 The study of compounds that contain bonds between carbon atoms.
Inorganic chemistry- the study of all other compounds
Why is carbon so special?
 Carbon has four valence electrons, allowing it to
form up to four bonds with many other elements.
 One carbon atom can bond to another, giving it the
ability to form chains that are almost unlimited in
length.
 These carbon-carbon bonds can be single, double
or even triple covalent bonds.
 Chains of carbon atoms can even close up on
themselves to form rings.
HONC 1234
Organic Compounds vs. Inorganic Compounds
Organic
 Are usually defined as compounds which contain _____________ with
__________________. (May contain additional elements as well)
 Are produced only by living things (biotic).
 Range from simple to very complex.
 Contain strong, _____________________ bonds.
 Examples: CH4, C6H12O6, SUGARS, PROTEINS, FATS, OILS, DNA
Inorganic
 Usually defined as compounds that _______________ contain carbon with
hydrogen. (May contain just carbon.)
 Often can be formed in the non-living (abiotic) environment, but :
 Can also be made by/found in living things.
 Examples: H2O, NaCl, O2, NH3, CaCO3, CO2
Summary/Additional Notes:
2
Substance
Organic?
1. sodium chloride (table salt): NaCl
2. glucose: C6H12O6
3. water: H2O
4. heating oil: C14H30
5. chitin (a protein): C8H12NO5
6. thymine (a nitrogenous base): C5H5N2O2
7. sulfuric acid: H2SO4
8. oxygen gas: O2
9. ethanol: C2H5OH
10. adenosine triphosphate (ATP): C10H16N5O13P3
11. carbon dioxide: CO2
Macromolecules
 The main organic molecules of living things
 Are ________________ made from _______________
o Monomers are small repeating units
o Polymers are larger molecules made from putting
the monomers together.
4 major groups of macromolecules:
A. Carbohydrates
B. Lipids
C. Nucleic Acids
D. Protein
Summary/Additional Notes:
Inorganic?
3
GROUP
Basic Building Blocks
(Monomers)
Macromolecule
(Polymer)
Carbohydrates
Lipids
Nucleic Acids
Proteins
The exception: Lipids are not composed of monomers and polymers. Instead,
they take different forms which we will discuss.
Carbohydrates
Lipids
Nucleic Acids
Proteins
Foods in
which
they are
found
Building and Breaking Down Macromolecules
2 major chemical processes (metabolic reactions) occur to ______________ or
____________________ organic molecules into larger or smaller units
These reactions occur to build and break all four types of macromolecule (carb,
lipid, nucleic acid, and protein)
 Dehydration synthesis
 Hydrolysis
Summary/Additional Notes:
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Dehydration Synthesis
The chemical reaction where a large molecule is
from smaller molecules by taking away a water molecule
_________
Hydrolysis
The chemical reaction where a large molecule is
into smaller molecules by adding a water molecule
disaccharide
+ water → yields monosaccharide + monosaccharide
A. Carbohydrates
 Are
molecules
 Made of the elements C, H, O in the ratio of 1:2:1
 Main source of _____________ for
living things
They range from small, monosaccharides
(_____________________)
 to ____________________ molecules
such as disaccharides,
 to large polysaccharides (________________________________).
Summary/Additional Notes:
_____
5
Monosaccharides
 smallest unit or monomer of a carbohydrate
 can be combined by dehydration synthesis to form larger molecules like
disaccharides and polysaccharides
• Examples: Glucose, Galactose, and Fructose
• Chemical Formula: C6H12O6
galactose
fructose
glucose
C6H12O6
C6H12O6
C6H12O6
Structural Isomers – same formula, but _______________ structures
Another monosaccharide is ribose. It is a component of RNA
(ribonucleic acid)
ribose
CH O
5 10
Disaccharide- a compound made by joining ___________
monosaccharides by dehydration synthesis
Examples:
1. Sucrose (table sugar)- made from a glucose combined with a fructose
2. Lactose (milk sugar)- made from a glucose combined with a galactose
Polysaccharides- large molecules made by combining _____________
monosaccharides by dehydration synthesis
Summary/Additional Notes:
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 3 main examples of polysaccharides:
Polysaccharide: Found in:
Made of:
Used for:
Starch
Glycogen
Cellulose
 Structure of Polysaccharides
All made of glucose monomers but in different arrangements:
_________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
Why do endurance athletes often consume a diet high in complex carbohydrates
while training?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
If a starch polysaccharide 100 glucose molecules long is hydrolyzed, how many
water molecules are needed to break the bonds?
_________________
B. Lipids
 Are important for energy, cell structure, and waterproof coatings.
 Generally _______________________ in water
 Contain C, H, O (NOT in a 1:2:1 ratio)
 Lipids do not have a repeating structural monomer unit. They do not
technically form polymers. Different lipids have different structures.
Summary/Additional Notes:
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Types of Lipids
*1)Fats- triglycerides that are solid at room temperature; usually from animal
sources
Examples: butter, shortening, lard
*2) Oils- triglycerides that are liquid at room temperature; usually from plant
sources
Examples: sunflower oil, olive oil, corn oil
3) Waxes - ear wax, beeswax, and the waxy layer on the surface of plant leaves.
4) Steroids - cholesterol; hormones such as testosterone; pigments used in animal
vision and in photosynthesis.
5) Phospholipids – important structural component of cell membranes
Triglycerides
 Triglycerides are lipids that form when a glycerol molecule combines with 3
molecules called fatty acids.
 The structure of the fatty acid determines the function of the triglyceride
___________
Saturated and Unsaturated Fatty acids
1) A fatty acid is SATURATED if each carbon in a lipid’s fatty acid chain is
bonded to another carbon atom by a ______________ bond (no C=C double or
triple bonds)
 tend to form molecules called saturated fats which are
at
room temperature.
 contain the maximum amount of hydrogens possible.
 unfortunately, NOT very 'heart-healthy'!
Summary/Additional Notes:
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2) A fatty acid is UNSATURATED if there is at least
one carbon-carbon ______________ bond
(monounsaturated). A fatty acid is said to be
POLYUNSATURATED if there are more than one
carbon-carbon double bond
 tend to form molecules called oils which are
_______________ at room temperature.
 contain fewer hydrogens
 these are more "heart-healthy"!
Formation of Triglycerides
Fatty acids are attached to the glycerol molecules by dehydration synthesis.
 This occurs at the carboxyl end of each fatty acid
 The carboxyl group can be written as COOH or -COOH. The carboxyl group
contains a carbonyl (C=O) group and a hydroxyl (–OH) group.
__________
__________
How many water molecules are removed in the formation of 1 triglyceride?
_________
Why do you think saturated fats are solid and unsaturated fats are liquids? Think
about the structure/layout of each.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Summary/Additional Notes:
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Melting point is the temperature at which a
substance melts.
Which one of the fatty acids in the table is
saturated?
-5
________________________
-11
Which is monounsaturated?
________________________
Which are polyunsaturated?
______________________________________
How does the number of double bonds affect the melting point?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
C. Nucleic Acids
 Nucleic Acids store and transmit hereditary, or _______________,
information (EXAMPLES: DNA and RNA)
 Contain C, H, O, N, P.
 Made of monomers called ___________________
 Many nucleotides come together by dehydration synthesis to form the
nucleic acid polymers (DNA or RNA)
Three parts to a nucleotide
 Nitrogenous base
 5-carbon sugar
 Phosphate group
Exception:
A special nucleotide called adenosine triphosphate (ATP) stores & releases energy.
ATP molecules are nucleotides but do not come together to make polymers.
Notice 3 phosphate groups instead of one in the ATP nucleotide
Summary/Additional Notes:
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DNA and RNA
DNA- deoxyribonucleic acid
 Nucleic acid that stores genetic information
 Holds the codes (genes) for proteins
 Contains the 5-carbon sugar
_________________________
RNA- Ribonucleic acid
 The helper molecule for DNA in the making
of proteins
 Contains the 5-carbon sugar
__________________
How many nucleotides are in the nucleic acid
above?
_____________
Central Dogma of Molecular Biology
______________ → ______________ → _____________ → ____________
Summary/Additional Notes: