BIOCHEMISTRY
• ALL LIVING THINGS ARE COMPOSED
OF THE FOLLOWING BASIC ELEMENTS
•CARBON
•HYDROGEN
•NITROGEN
•OXYGEN
•PHOSPHOROUS
•SULFUR
“CHNOPS”, Essential Elements
• A MOLECULE CONTAINING CARBON IS
• CALLED AN ORGANIC MOLECULE
* H2O and CO2 are inorganic molecules
CO2
lipid
protein
nucleic acid
carbohydrate
water
•most important
inorganic compound in
living things
•most cellular processes
take place in water
solutions
•excellent solvent
(substances dissolve in
water)
The Nature of Matter
• ATOM is the basic unit of matter
“unable to be cut”
• Subatomic particles are the neutrons
(no charge), electrons (- charge),
protons (+ charge).
• Compound- chemical combination of
two or more elements
• Element- pure substance made of one
type of atom (periodic table)
WATER
Characteristics: ¾ of the earth is
water, water expands as it freezes,
ice is less dense that liquid H2O
(floats),
Polarity: A water molecule is polar
because there is an uneven
distribution of electrons between the
oxygen and hydrogen atoms so…… it acts
like a magnet
Hydrogen bonds: attraction between the
H atom and the O atom; weak bonds
THERE ARE 4 BASIC CARBON COMPOUNDS
IN ALL LIVING THINGS: (BIOCHEMICAL
MOLECULES)
1. CARBOHYDRATES
2. LIPIDS
3. PROTEINS
4. NUCLEIC ACIDS
CARBOHYDRATES
•INCLUDES SUGARS, STARCHES, AND
CELLULOSE
•PROVIDES short term ENERGY FOR ORGANISMS
•4 calories/gram
•SUGARS:
MONOSACCHARIDES (SINGLE SUGARS)
DISACCHARIDES (DOUBLE SUGARS)
•MAY BE LINKED TOGETHER TO FORM
POLYSACCHARIDES (MANY SUGARS)
•PLANTS STORE ENERGY IN POLYSACCHARIDE - STARCH
•ANIMALS STORE ENERGY IN POLYSACCHARIDE-GLYCOGEN
PLANTS – JOIN SIMPLE SUGARS TOGETHER TO
MAKE - CELLULOSE
CELLULOSE – A polysaccharide in the cell walls of plants
-Cellulose we eat comes from vegetables, fruits, whole grain
breads and cereals
-Your body CANNOT break down, no nutritional value (fiber)
LIPIDS
INCLUDES FATS, OILS, WAXES, PHOSPHOLIPIDS,
AND STERIODS.
•Energy= 9 calories/gram
•FATS - ACT AS INSULATORS
•WAXES - HELP PLANTS CONSERVE WATER
•OILS - MAKE SOME BIRDS FEATHERS WATERPROOF
•PHOSPHOLIPIDS – MAIN COMPONENT OF CELL
MEMBRANE
•STEROIDS– HORMONES THAT AFFECT CELL
ACTIVITY
*Non-polar molecules that are not soluble in
water
LIPIDS
•
•
•
•
•
A concentrated source of energy
Store other nutrients, such as Vitamin A
Protect vital organs
Help keep our skin from drying out
Insulate the body against changes in
environmental temperature
*The body uses lipids to make cell membranes,
hormones and the oils in your skin and hair
made up of
glycerol
H
H C
and 3 fatty acids
Note the
molecular
structure’s “E”
shape
O H H H H H H H H H H H H H H
O
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
H H H H H H
C C
C
C
C
C
C H
H H H H H H
O H H H H H H H H H H H H H H
C
O
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
H H H H H H
C C
C
C
C
C
C H
H H H H H H
O H H H H H H H H H H H H H H
H C
H
O
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
H H H H H H
C
C C
C
C
C
C
C H
H H H H H H
LIPIDS
• Saturated fats: have no double bonds between
the carbons and contain max number of
hydrogen atoms
-usually solid at room temperature, most come
from animal products
• Unsaturated fats: fats with double bonds
-most are liquid at room temperature, come
from plants (usually referred to as oils)
*Monounsaturated – one double bond
*Polyunsaturated – many double bonds
PROTEINS
•COMPOSED OF SMALLER MOLECULES
CALLED AMINO ACIDS
• CONTAIN NITROGEN, CARBON,
HYDROGEN & OXYGEN
•MAKE UP MORE THAN HALF THE DRY
WEIGHT OF ORGANISMS
PROTEINS
• Provide body with materials needed for
growth and repair
• Builds muscles, skin and blood
• Complete: contain all 8 essential a.a. (food
that comes from animals)
• Incomplete: lack some of the essential a.a.
(food that comes from plants)
PROTEINS
Include:
• enzymes that promote chemical reactions
• structural functions such as collagen in skin,
ligaments, tendons, and bones
• proteins found in muscles and hair
• antibodies – fight infection by killing bacteria
• Hemoglobin - carries oxygen in blood
NUCLEIC ACIDS
•LARGE COMPLEX MOLECULES
CONTAINING HEREDITY MATERIAL
1. DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID -D N A
2. RIBONUCLEIC ACID- R N A
•D N A CARRIES INSTRUCTIONS THAT
REGULATE CELL ACTIVITIES
•R N A –uses information from DNA to
tell the ribosomes what proteins to make.
NucleicAcids
• Made up of nucleotides containing a sugar,
a phosphate, and a Nitrogen base
Includes:
nitrogen
sugar
*Adenine
base
*Thymine
*Guanine
phosphate
*Cytosine
Monomers (subunits)
• Carbohydrates- Monosaccharides
(sugars)
• Proteins- Amino Acids
• Lipids- Glycerol and fatty acids
• Nucleic acids- Nucleotides