Section 3
Carbon Compounds
Building Blocks of Cells
 Made up of biomolecules (large complex molecules)
 Like building blocks (ex legos)
Carbon Compounds
 Basic unit of biomolecules that contain atoms of carbon
 Carbon atoms form covalent bonds with each other and other elements
creating chains or rings (structure pg 60)
Carbohydrates
 Used by cells for sources of energy, structure and identification
 Are molecules made of sugars
 Sugars contain C-H-O atoms in the ratio of 1:2:1
 Monosaccharide-one sugar, simple sugar (ex. Glucose)
 Disaccharide – two sugars, more complex simple sugar (ex. Sucrose or
lactose)
 Polysaccharide – many sugars linked together (ex starch and glycogen), they
are considered complex carbohydrates
Energy Supply
 Carbohydrates are major source of energy
 Plants store sun’s energy for future use by making glucose, which is store
as starch
 Release chemical energy for cell activities by breaking down glucose
Structural Support
 Made of complex carbohydrates that provide support (ex chitin and
cellulose)
Cell Recognition
 Cells will have various chains of sugars on their outer surface, they can
recognize invading/foreign cells
Lipids
 Consist of chains of Hydrogen and Carbon atoms
 Lipids include fat, phospholipids, steroids, and waxes
 Acts as energy storage and controls water movement
 Steriod hormones used as signal molecules and light absorption
Energy Storage
 Fats main purpose is to store energy
 Very efficient, convert excess food into fat
Water Barriers
 Around the cell are phospholipids
 One end of the phospholipid is attracted to water molecules, the other is not
Proteins
 Workhorse molecules that perform many functions
 Made up of chains of amino acids that twist and fold into certain shapes that
determines what the proteins do
 Provide structure and support, enable movement, aid in communication or
transportation, chemical reactions
Amino Acids
 Protein is made up of amino acids
 Amino Acids are the building blocks link for form proteins
 Made up of amino group (-NH2) and a carboxyl group (-COOH) and a
variable group (give amino acid its property)
 Carboxyl group can bond to the amino group of another link, this bond is
called a peptid bond
 There are 20 different amino acids that are found in proteins
Levels of Structure
 Form specific proteins, amino acids arrange into certain orders
 First order, primary structure
 Side groups interact, twisting coiling folding this is the secondary structure
Nucleic Acid
 All of your cells have them
 Long chains of nucleotide units
 A nucleotide is a molecule made up of 3 parts: sugar, base (carbon and
nitrogen atoms), and phosphate group (ex DNA and RNA)
Heredity Information
 DNA- genetic code, depend on the order of bases in the nucleotides spiraling
around each other (2 strands)
 Hydrogen bonds hold these strands together. RNA – decodes DNA
information
 Nucleic Acids store and transmit heredity information
Energy Carriers
 ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)
 Energy is released in the reaction that breaks the third phosphate group
 Other single nucleotides transfer electrons or hydrogen atoms for energy