The Chemistry of Life

• The FIVE primary elements of Life and all Living things-
(You must know these symbols and the corresponding names)
• C carbon
• H hydrogen
• O oxygen
• N nitrogen
• P phosphorus

• When elements are combined to make molecules and compounds, the subscript number represents how many atoms of each element is in the molecule.
• For example, water H
2
O is really 2 hydrogen and 1 oxygen atoms.

• are those that contain
carbon
(C) and hydrogen (H) and usually other atoms.
Like glucose,
C
6
H
12
O
6 and methane,
CH
4 .
• We are investigating organic
BIG compounds

• are those that DO NOT contain both carbon (C) and hydrogen
(H).
Like water
H
2
O and carbon dioxide CO
2 .

• O
2
OXYGEN
• CO
2
CARBON DIOXIDE
• H
2
O WATER
Processes we have seen these in:
• photosynthesis
• Cellular respiration
• Carbon, water, & oxygen cycles
• Greenhouse gases (CO
2
& H
2
O)

O
2
C
6
H
12
O
6
CO
2
C
8
H
18

• Water covers most of the planet (74% fresh and salt) and makes up the greatest percentage of ALL living organisms.
• Depending on temperature and volume, humans can live WITHOUT
WATER for only one to ten days

H
2
O

The water molecule is unique because it is POLAR:
• Meaning it has an uneven distribution of charges , a slightly positive end and a slightly negative end
• NONPOLAR molecules have an even distribution of charges like petroleum
Remember like dissolves like , soooooo

• Hydrogen bonds are formed between polar molecules involving slightly positive
Hydrogen and slightly negative Oxygen or Nitrogen atoms
• They DO NOT change the molecules involved, they are weak, temporary bonds that are essential in ALL living organisms

• Adhesion -is the property where different molecules are attracted to each other
• Cohesion -is the property where same molecules are attracted to each other
• Surface tension is cohesion at the surface of a liquid due to hydrogen bonds between molecules at the surface. This forms a strong surface "film”.

Capillary Action is where the properties of water, adhesion and cohesion, work to draw liquids against gravity.
Plants depend this property of water to get water from their roots to their leaves.

Water is called the universal solvent because of all the properties it has…polarity, cohesion, and adhesion and its ability to form hydrogen bonds.
A solution is a uniform mixture of at least two substances, like salt and water  salt water
SOLVENT = water (does the dissolving)
SOLUTE = salt (is what is being dissolved)

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Because water is so important there are two more important watery terms you need to know-


Hydrophilic –water loving molecules, will easily dissolve in water
Hydrophobic -water fearing molecules, do not mix/dissolve in water and often move AWAY from water




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C, carbon, H, hydrogen, O, oxygen, N, nitrogen, and P, phosphorus
ALL organic compounds MUST contain both carbon and hydrogen
Glucose, C
6
H
12
O
6 and methane CH two common organic molecules
4
Macro=BIG

 A monomer is a simple compound that can join together to for polymers
 A polymer is a large molecule
(macromolecule) composed of repeating structural units connected by covalent chemical bonds

• O
2
OXYGEN
• CO
2
CARBON DIOXIDE
• H
2
O WATER
Processes we have seen these in:
• photosynthesis
• Cellular respiration
• Carbon, water, & oxygen cycles
• Greenhouse gases (CO
2
& H
2
O)

Remember M acro mean BIG, sooooo …these are mostly very big molecules, they are as follows:
1.
Carbohydrates
2.
3.
4.
Lipids
Nucleic Acids
Proteins

 Are also called sugars
 Are made up of the elements C H O
 Usually, for every C there are 2 H

 The monomers of carbohydrates are called monosaccharides
 Like glucose, fructose & ribose
 The polymers of carbohydrates are called polysaccharides
 Like cellulose & starch

 Most carbohydrates have the
ENDING OSE…

Cell walls
(structure)
Cell markers
(communication)
Quick Energy
(Like Glucose)
Stored Energy (Like Glycogen)

 4 kcal (dietary calories) per gram
 Foods include bread, pasta, veggies and fruit
 3 types:
 Monosaccharides
 Disaccharides
 Polysaccharides

 Glucose
 Fructose
 Ribose
 Deoxyribose
 Galactose


 sucrose
 lactose
 maltose
+

 Starch
 Glycogen
 Cellulose
 Amylose


Formation of glycosidic bonds

 Dehydration synthesis (AKA condensation reaction)- is the building or SYNTHESIS of macromolecules with the LOSS of a water molecule for every bond built.

 Hydrolysis -is the breaking down of molecules through the use of water.
For every bond broken, one water molecule is used.
 Lysis = break

 http://nhscience.lonestar.edu/biol/de hydrat/dehydrat.html

 A reagent is a chemical compound used for detecting or identifying other substances
 We can test for two types of carbohydrates-
 Monosaccharides and polysaccharides

 Are made up of the elements C H O
 Important lipids, Diglycerides and triglycerides are made up of subunits called glycerol (1) and fatty acids ( 2 or
3)
 Most lipids are not made of subunits or monomers

 Are important to all organisms for as the main part of ALL cell membranes
 Are used as a source of stored
 energy
Are important insulators to help cushion, keep warm and conduct impulses

 9 kcal (dietary calories) per gram
 Lipids include wax, oil, cholesterol and animal fat & many hormones

This triglyceride is formed by building ester bonds between the fatty acids and the glycerol molecule

 Saturated fats/lipids contain only single bonds between carbons
 Unsaturated fats/lipids have some
 double bonds and fewer hydrogens
(at least one “mono-unsaturated”)

phospholipid

Steroids
( lipid hormones)
Carbons arranged into 4 ring structure

Most lipids are extremely HYDROPHOBIC also known as nonpolar!
Meaning water fearing and do not mix are insoluble in water

 Made up of the elements C H O N P
 The polymers are DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid) which includes messenger RNA, ribosomal RNA and transfer RNA

 Nucleic acids function to store genetic information, DNA, (directions for making proteins) or actually direct the building of proteins, RNA.

 The monomers are nucleotides
 T he three parts of the monomer are a nitrogen base, phosphate group and a pentose sugar


Monomers
(Nucleotides)
4 for DNA
4 for RNA

 Made up mostly of C, H , O and N
 CHON

 Function in movement because they make up muscle and connective tissue
 Are important to all organisms for structure and shape
 Necessary for all metabolic processes-

ENZYMES
Important role in immune system – antibodies
 Our proteins determine who and what we are!

 Monomers are amino acids
 There are 20 different amino acids


A protein’s shape is determined by the arrangement of amino acids
 DNA is the instructions for making proteins in organisms, soooooooooooooooooooooo-
 a mutation means that the protein may not work!

 Small proteins are often called polypeptides
 the amino acids that make up a protein are linked together with covalent bonds called peptide bonds

 4 kcal (dietary calories) per gram
 Foods include egg whites, meat, and fish
 plants contain limited amounts of protein

neg pos


Enzymes regulate and maintain metabolic functions in ALL living things. They are essential to life

1.
2.
3.
4.
THEY ARE ALL PROTEINS
They speed up reactions by lowering the energy of activation (energy needed to start reaction) they are specific (only one substrate) they are reusable (used over and over)




The substrate is the specific thing an enzyme works on
Often are described as lock and key because how very specific they are and how they can be reused like a lock
So they are specific (only one substrate) and reusable (used over and over)





Necessary for LIFE
Often end in –ase More coming soon
All proteins are sensitive to change in temperature and pH
If a protein changes work properly
, it is considered denatured and will not



The substrate is the specific thing an enzyme works on
Often are described as lock and key because how very specific they are and how they can be reused like a lock

So AGAIN and over) they are specific (only one substrate) and reusable (used over

 The active site is where the substrate fits into the enzymes
 The reactant is what is being changed product is what is produced after the reaction
 The coenzyme plays the helper to the enzyme in reactions

 Proteins, so of course, enzymes are very sensitive to any thing that can change their shape, denature them.
 Temperature and pH can DENATURE proteins so they do not work.
 Genetic defects, changes in DNA, can produce proteins that do not work.

http://www.lewport.com/10712041113402793/lib/1071204111340
2793/Animations/Enzyme_activity.html

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
The pH Scale is used to determine the acidity and alkalinity (base) pH Scale ranges from 0 to 14




 pH is the concentration of H ions
Acid = pH below 7, The lower the pH, the stronger the acid as pH approaches 0
Neutral = pH of 7  pure water
Base = pH above 7 ( alkaline stronger the base is as pH approaches 14
), the