Foundations of Biology Notes
Organic Molecules
I. Organic molecules
Name: _______________________
Block: ________ Date: _________________
A. Organic molecules are molecules that contain a ________________________________
and are made by or found inside living things.
1. Organic chemistry is the ______________________________________.
2. Organic molecules are centered on ________.
B. There are 4 types of organic molecules.
1. ___________________
2. ___________________
3. ___________________
4. ___________________
C. Most of the organic molecules are _____________________________________ formed by
bonding many small molecules called ___________ together.
D. Carbohydrates
1. Carbohydrates are used by living things for _______________.
2. Carbohydrates exist as monosaccharides, disaccharides,
or polysaccharides.
a. ___________________________; the monomers of the disaccharides and
polysaccharides.
(1) The most common monosaccharides
are _________________________________.
(2) Glucose – ________________________________________________.
Glucose molecule (C6H12O6)
(3) Fructose – ______________________________
Fructose molecule (C6H12O6)
Glucose and fructose are isomers. They have the ______________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
b. Disaccharides – _______________________________________________.
Sucrose is a disaccharide made when a glucose molecule is bonded to a fructose
molecule.
Sucrose molecule (C11H22O11)
b. Polysaccharides large, complex carbohydrate polymers made up of many
_______________________________. Starch, glycogen, and cellulose are 3
examples of polysaccharides.
(1) Starch – a _______________________________________________.
Starch is used as food storage in the seeds, bulbs,
and roots of many plants.
(2) Glycogen – a highly branched chain of glucose monomers.
Glycogen is used by mammals to store food in the liver.
(3) Cellulose – the most complex glucose polymer that
____________________________________. Cellulose gives plants their
structural support. Humans cannot digest cellulose- but it is necessary in the
human diet because it provides _____________ that keeps the digestive system
healthy and working properly.
3. We get carbs from eating foods such as ____________________________________.
4. Carbohydrates are made of C,H,and O in a ___________. (CH2O) .
5. Digestion breaks carbs down into individual ______________. The monosaccharides
are then used by the cells for energy.
E. Lipids (fats)
1. _____________________________________________________.
2. Lipids are very large, ______________ molecules that will not bond with water or
dissolve in water.
3. There are 5 types of lipids:
 _________________________
 _________________________
 _________________________
 _________________________
 Phospholipids
a. Fats – are ______________________________________ and are usually
associated with animals.
Fats are used to _________________. Excess carbohydrate in the body is
converted to fat to be stored. Fats are often associated with heart disease
because excess fat in the diet can clog the arteries.
 _______________________ is a type of fat that is made of a glycerol molecule
bonded to 3 fatty acids.
3 fatty
acids
Glycerol
molecule
b. Oils – are _______________________________ and are usually
associated with plants.
 Oils are often found in seeds and are a source of energy for sprouting seeds.
c. Waxes – a type of lipid that is ____________________.
 In plants waxes form a waterproof coating on the
outer surfaces of the leaves.
 In animals waxes form ____________________; earwax forms a barrier to keep
microorganisms from entering the middle ear.
d. Steroids – are considered lipids because they ______________________________.
 Steroids act like chemical messengers inside of the body.
 __________ is a type of steroid. A small amount of
cholesterol is needed for the proper _______________________. High amounts of
cholesterol leads to clogged arteries and other forms of heart disease.
 Steroids are a major component of _________________________________
________________________________________________________________.
e. Phospholipids- make up the cell membrane. Two parts make up a phospholipid.
 Heads: ____________________- meaning water-loving
 Tails: ______________________- meaning water-hating

4. The functions of lipids:
a. ______________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________
c. ______________________________________________
d. ______________________________________________
5. We get lipids from eating fried foods, hamburger meat, bacon,
lard, whole dairy products, and cheese.
F. Nucleic acids (DNA and RNA)
1. Nucleic acids are _______________________ that store
cellular information in the form of a code
“__________________________”.
2. Nucleic acids are polymers made of smaller subunits
called ____________________.
3. Nucleotides have 3 parts:
a. ______________________________________
b. ______________________________________
c. ______________________________________
4. DNA – deoxyribonucleic acid
a___________________________ of all organisms.
It contains all of the ________________ about the
organism.
b. DNA instructions are held in the ________________ of every
living thing.
c. DNA is copied every time a cell divides so that all cells
will have the genetic information needed for life.
d. DNA is in the shape of a _________________________________ and is found in the
nucleus of all cells.
d. DNA contains the 5-carbon sugar _______.
f. The 4 nitrogen bases found in DNA are adenine, thymine,
cytosine, and guanine. These bases pair up in a very
specific way:
(1) ____________________________________________
(2) ____________________________________________
DNA Molecule
5. RNA – _____________________.
a. RNA is actually a copy of DNA that can ___________________________
and carry instructions to other parts of the body.
b. RNA is a ___________ straight strand.
c. RNA has the 5-carbon sugar ____________.
d. In RNA, the nitrogen base _________________________________.
6. Both DNA and RNA are necessary for the process of protein
synthesis – ________________________________________________________.
RNA Molecule
F. Proteins
1. Proteins are organic compounds that contain
_______________________________________________________.
2. Proteins are more complex than carbohydrates.
3. Proteins are chains of ______________________.
a. Amino acids are the _____________________________________
_____________________________________________________________.
b. There are 20 amino acids used to make proteins.
The ___________________ of amino acids determines
the type of protein.
c. The amino acids in a protein are linked together by
special covalent bonds called _____________________.
d. Proteins are also called ____________.
Protein (polypeptide) structure
There are 20 different R groups because there are
20 different types of amino acids. The remaining
structure (Amino group, H, and acidic carboxyl group
are identical in all amino acids.
4. Proteins provide structure for cells and tissues, are important in the
__________ of muscle tissue, transport O2 in the blood, provide ________,
regulate other proteins, and carry out chemical reactions.
** Digestion breaks ____________________________________________that
make it up. The amino acids are then used by the cells to build the new proteins that the
organism needs.
5. Enzymes – enzymes are special proteins that
change the ________ of a chemical reaction.
a. Enzymes cause reactions to happen _________ because
they __________________________________ needed for the reaction to occur.
b. Enzymes are also called ______________________________.
c. Enzymes are involved in nearly all metabolic reactions.
d. Enzymes work because of _________________. They fit
to certain molecules called _____________ like a key fits
in a lock.
e. If the shape of the enzyme is changed then the enzyme
will not function. ____________________________________ can alter
the shape of an enzyme.
f. Enzymes are _________ to their reaction and will not work in
other reactions.
g. The enzyme is _________________________________________; it simply
causes the reaction to happen.
h. We get proteins from eating __________________________________________.
i. ____________________: (EA) is the amount of energy required for a
chemical reaction to begin (initiate) or proceed.