Biochemistry:
The Chemistry
of Life
1
Organic Compounds
• Compounds that contain CARBON are
called organic.
• Macromolecules are large organic
molecules.
2
Carbon (C)
• Carbon can form covalent bonds with
as many as 4 other atoms (elements).
• Usually with C, H, O, N & P.
– Example:
C6H12O6 (glucose)
3
The Atoms of Life
The most frequently found atoms in the body are
“CHONP” (not in this order).
Carbon (C)
Hydrogen (H)
What are other
Oxygen (O)
elements you expected
Nitrogen (N)
to be on this list?
Phosphorous (P)
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Making the Molecules of Life
Each molecule has one or more roles in
living systems.
Energy
Structure
Information
5
Molecule Structure & Function
Bond types determine what a molecule
does.
Covalent bonds provide…
Structure
Store (chemical potential) energy
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Molecule Structure & Function
Ionic and hydrogen bonds are weaker but can
provide...
Structure:
Holding different molecules together
Holding parts of a single molecule
together.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnQe0x
W_JY4&list=PL3EED4C1D684D3ADF&index=1
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Macromolecules
• MONOMER: individual unit /
“building block”
glucose
– Example: glucose
• POLYMER: many monomers
bonded together to create a long
strand
– Example: starch
• Macromolecules are all polymers
made from smaller parts
glucose
glucose
glucose
glucose
glucose
glucose
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Macromolecules
• Large organic molecules.
– Also called POLYMERS.
– Made up of smaller “building blocks” called
MONOMERS.
• Examples:
1. Carbohydrates
2. Lipids
3. Proteins
4. Nucleic acids (DNA and RNA)
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Carbohydrates
10
Carbohydrates
• Range from small sugar molecules to
large sugar molecules.
glucose
glucose
glucose
glucose
glucose
glucose maltose
glucose
cellulose
glucose
glucose
glucose
glucose
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Carbohydrates
MONOMER = Monosaccharide: one sugar unit
• Elements involved: CHO
• Also called “simple sugars”
Examples: glucose (C6H12O6)
deoxyribose
ribose
fructose
galactose
glucose
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Carbohydrates
• Range from small sugar molecules to
large sugar molecules.
• Types:
A. monosaccharide
B. disaccharide
C. polysaccharide
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Carbohydrates
Monosaccharide: one sugar unit
Examples: glucose (C6H12O6)
deoxyribose
ribose
fructose
galactose
glucose
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Carbohydrates
Disaccharide: two sugar unit
Examples:
– Sucrose (glucose+fructose)
– Lactose (glucose+galactose)
– Maltose (glucose+glucose)
glucose
glucose
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Carbohydrates
Polysaccharide: many sugar units
Called “complex carbs”
Examples: starch
cellulose
glycogen
glucose
glucose
glucose
glucose
cellulose
glucose
glucose
glucose
glucose
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Carbohydrates
Functions of carbohydrates:
1. Short-term energy storage for plants
& animals
2. Source of carbon
3. Structural elements of cells and
tissues
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Review Questions
1. What is the difference between a mono-, di-,
and polysaccharide?
2. Provide an example of a mono-, di-, and
polysaccharide.
3. What are 2 functions of carbohydrates?
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Lipids
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Lipids
• General term for compounds which are NOT soluble
in water.
• Lipids are hydrophobic
– Hydrophobic = water fearing / water hating
• Remember: lipids store the most energy
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Lipids
The MONOMER for lipids…
*fatty acid chains
3 fatty acids & 1 glycerol make a
triglyceride…
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Lipids
The polymer of lipids is a Triglyceride:
composed of 1 glycerol and 3 fatty acid chains
(monomers).
Elements involved: CHO
H
O
H-C----O C-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH3
O
H-C----O C-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH3
O
fatty acids
H-C----O C-CH -CH -CH -CH
2
2
2
H
glycerol
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Fatty Acids
There are two TYPES of fatty acids
1. Saturated: maximum # of hydrogens (no double
bonds)
saturated
O
C-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH3
2. Unsaturated: less than the maximum # of
hydrogens (1+ double
bonds)
O
unsaturated C-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH
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Saturated vs. Unsaturated Fats
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Lipids
• Examples:
1. Fats
2. Waxes (saturated)
3. Oils (unsaturated)
4. Phospholipids
5. Steroid hormones
6. Triglycerides
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Lipids
4 functions of lipids:
1. Long term energy storage
2. Protection against heat loss (insulation),
physical shock & water loss
3. Chemical messengers (hormones)
4. Major component of membranes
(phospholipids)
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Review Questions
1. What are the parts of a triglyceride?
2. What is the difference between a saturated
and unsaturated fat?
3. What are 2 functions of lipids?
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Proteins
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Proteins (Polypeptides)
• MONOMER = Amino acids (A.A.s)
• Elements involved: CHON
• Made up of C, H, O and N (amino refers to the
presence of nitrogen)
• There are 20 different amino acids
• A.A.s are bonded together by peptide bonds to
create a…
• Polypeptide: strand of amino acids, which becomes
a protein!
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Amino Acids
Phenylalanine (Phe)
Leucine (Leu)
Isoleucine (Ile)
Valine (Val)
Serine (Ser)
Proline (Pro)
Threonine (Thr)
Alanine (Ala)
Tryosine (Tyr)
Histidine (His)
Glutamine (Gln)
Asparagine (Asn)
Lysine (Lys)
Glutamic Acid (Glu)
Aspartic Acid (Asp)
Cystenine (Cys)
Tryptophan (Trp)
Argenine (Arg)
Glycine (Gly)
Methionine (Met)
Start codon
Proteins
Proteins (Polypeptides)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Examples of proteins:
Functions:
Muscle
Hemoglobin
Hormones
Albumin (egg white)
Membranes, hair, nails
Enzymes
Movement:
Transport
Regulation
Storage
Structural
Cellular reactions
32
Review Questions
1. What are the monomers that make up a
protein?
2. How are those monomers held together?
3. What are 2 functions of proteins?
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Nucleic Acids
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Nucleic acids
• Two types:
a. DNA (DeoxyriboNucleic Acid)
- double helix
b. RNA (RiboNucleic Acid)
- single strand
• Nucleic acids are composed of long chains of
nucleotides
35
Nucleic acids
• MONOMER = Nucleotide
• Nucleotides include:
– phosphate group
– pentose sugar
– nitrogen base
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Nucleic acids
• Elements involved:
CHONP
• MONOMER = Nucleotide
• Nucleotides include:
– phosphate group (1 P & 4 Os)
– pentose sugar (5 Cs)
– nitrogen base:
• ATGC in DNA
• AUGC in RNA
Nitrogen bases:
• adenine (A)
• cytosine (C)
• guanine (G)
• thymine (T) DNA only
• uracil (U) RNA only
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Nucleotide
Phosphate
Group
O
O=P-O
O
5
CH2
O
N
C1
C4
Nitrogenous base
5-C Sugar
C3
C2
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Nucleic acids
• POLYMER = Nucleic Acid
• Made of many nucleotides
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DNA
double
helix
O
5
3
O
P
5
3
O
C
G
1
P
5
3
2
4
4
2
3
1
P
T
5
A
P
3
O
O
P
5
O
3
5
P
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Nucleic acids
Examples:
• DNA
• RNA
o tRNA
o mRNA
o rRNA
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DNA - double helix
43
Nucleic acids
5 Functions:
1. Store genetic information
2. Pass genetic information from one
generation to the next
3. Create proteins
4. Determine the job of every cell in an
organism
5. Identify individual organisms
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Macromolecules
You are what you eat… LITERALLY!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8WJ2KE
NlK0&index=3&list=PL3EED4C1D684D3ADF
46
Review Questions
1. What are the parts of a nucleotide?
2. What is the difference between RNA & DNA?
3. What are 2 functions of nucleic acids?
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Review
1.
2.
3.
4.
What is the main example of monosaccharides?
What are 3 examples of polysaccharides? What
is the purpose of each one in humans?
How are monosaccharides used differently in
humans than polysaccharides? How are they
structurally different from each other?
List, in order, the types of macromolecules by
their effectiveness of energy usage? (What does
our body use first, second, etc?)
48
Review
5. Draw one molecule of water, labeling the more
positive and more negative regions.
6. Draw 3 water molecules. Label the forces that a)
hold the atoms together and b) the forces that
hold the molecules together
7. How could you break each of the forces from #6?
8. How is cellulose used differently in plants vs. cows vs.
humans?
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