Chapter 2 Section 3
Part 2

 Describe the unique qualities of carbon
 Describe the structures and functions of each of the four groups of macromolecules

Important Vocabulary
 Monomer
 Polymer
 Carbohydrate
 Monosaccharide
 Lipid
 Nucleic acid
 Nucleotide
 Protein
 Amino acid

Functional Groups
 Are a cluster of atoms that influence the characteristics of the molecule they are attached to
 They also play a role in the type of reactions a molecule participates in

Most Common Functional Groups

Other Functional Groups

Other Functional Groups

Hydroxyl Group
 -OH
 Makes molecules polar
 Is hydrophilic, which means “water loving”
 Molecules with this group are water soluble
 An alcohol is an organic compound that has a hydroxyl group attached

Carboxyl Group
 -COOH
 The carbon atom is attached to an oxygen atom by a double bond and to a hydroxyl group by a single bond
 Organic compounds that contain this group are called carboxylic acids

Amino Group
 -NH
2
 Found in amino acids and amines
 Makes compounds water soluble and have a higher boiling point

Phosphate Group
 -PO
4
 Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and ecology
 Inorganic phosphates are mind to obtain phosphorus for use in agriculture and industry
 Most phosphates are not water soluble

Nucleic Acids
 Are very large & complex molecules
 They store & transfer important information in the cell
 Composed of monomers called nucleotides
 2 types:
DNA
RNA

Nucleotides
• Three parts to a nucleotide:
• A 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate & a nitrogenous base

DNA
 Deoxyribonucleic Acid
 2 strands
 Composed of 4 types of nucleotides & a sugar-phosphate backbone
 Contains all the information that determines the characteristics of an organism

RNA
 Ribonucleic Acid
 1 strand
 Composed of 4 nucleotides & a sugarphosphate backbone
 Stores and transfers information from
DNA to make proteins
 They also act as enzymes

RNA vs DNA

Proteins
 Are composed mainly of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, & nitrogen
 They are made up of monomers known as amino acids
 There are 20 different amino acids
 Amino acids are connected to each other with peptide bonds
 Control the rate of reactions and regulate cell processes
 Important in cell structures and transportation of disease fighting substances in or out of cells

Amino Acids
 All 20 amino acids share a basic structure

Dipeptides
 2 amino acids hooked together by a peptide bond
 Formed through a condensation reaction

Polypeptides
 Are amino acids in really long chains
 Proteins are often made of 1 or more polypeptides
 Because they are so big, they fold into special forms:
 Primary
 Secondary
 Tertiary
 Quaternary

Protein Structures