Molecules of Life
Elements of Life
Carbon - C Hydrogen - H Oxygen - O Nitrogen - N Phosphorous – P Sulfur - S
Carbohydrates
Examples Bread, pasta, potatoes, sugar
Uses Energy storage The more complex the carbohydrate chain,
the longer it takes your body to break down -ose word ending Broken down into sugar (glucose)
Monosaccharide – 1 sugar
C6H12O6
Glucose, Fructose, Galactose, Ribose Cells use this to generate ATP
Disaccharide – 2 sugars
C12 H22O11 (C6H12O6 + C6H12O6 - H2O)
Sucrose (Glucose + Fructose) “table sugar”
Maltose (Glucose + Glucose) “malt sugar”
Lactose (Galactose + Glucose) “milk sugar”
Polysaccharide – many sugars
3 or more monosaccharides linked together Starch: energy storage in plants Glycogen: energy storage in animals Cellulose (plant fiber) (very long chain) Chitin (insect/crustacean outer covering)
Proteins or Polypeptides
Examples Nuts, meat (muscle), beans
Uses Muscle, hair, nails, skin, enzymes
Made from Amino Acid chains that can be thousands of amino acids long There are only 20 amino acids in nature!
Polypeptide: Many amino acids Tripeptide: Three amino acids Dipeptide: Two amino acids
Enzymes
Large, complex proteins –ase word ending (Lactase breaks down lactose) Activity varies with pH Can be denatured by extreme heat (shape is
changed) Can be reused over and over again “Lock & Key”
Active Site: attracts and holds only molecules that have the right shape
Substrate: molecule that is changed by the enzyme – must have the right shape
Enzmyes
Example: Lactose Intolerance
Lactose is a sugar found in most milk products
Lactase is an enzyme that breaks down lactose
People who are missing lactase (can no longer produce it) can’t eat lactose unless they get artificial lactase.
Example: Lactose Intolerance
Energy in Reactions
ENERGY is required for most synthesis reactions creation of a new, complex molecule
ENERGY is released in decomposition reactions Breakdown of complex molecules
Photosynthesis
6 CO2 + 6 H2O + (light E) → C6H12O6 + 6 O2
Stores light E as chemical E in GLUCOSEOccurs in chlorophyll pigment of green plants
Inside chloroplastsSource of E for almost ALL ORGANISMS
Cellular Respiration
Plants AND Animals respirate (breath) Releases stored chemical E from bonds of
glucose (mono-saccharides)
C6H12O6 + O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + 38ATP
Nucleic Acids
Building Blocks Your body builds nucleic acids from amino
acids that come from proteins
Uses DNA, RNA
Storage, transmission and expression of genetic information
DNA/RNA
Outer Structure: Sugar
Ribose (RNA) Deoxyribose (DNA)
Phosphate
Inner Structure: 4 base pairs Nucleotides
DNA Chemical Structure
Fats or Lipids
Examples Butter and oils Steroids and hormones Wax
Uses Long term energy, cushion, insulation, waterproofing Contains more than twice as much energy as an equal
amount of carbohydrate
Structure of Fats
Made from triglycerides 1 glycerol 3 fatty acids
Types of fatty acids change how fats behave Saturated: solid at room temperature Unsaturated: liquid at room temperature
TriglycerideGlycerol
3 Fatty Acids
Saturated Fats
All single C-C bonds Straight fatty acids can stack and clog
Animal Products: Meats (edge and marbling) Milk (cream and butter) Egg (the YOLK…the rest is protein)
Plant Products: Coconut, Palm and Cocoa “Butter”
Unsaturated Fats
Some double C=C bonds Causes bends: cannot stack, stay more liquid
Plant Products: Seeds and their oils Nuts and their oils
Can be HYDROGENATED Become more saturated/solid Vegetable oil, shortening, margarine
Other examples of fats
Hormones Steroids Cholesterol Plant waxes (think Bee’s wax)
Lipids
ATP- adenosine triphosphate
Most important energy transfer compound in all organisms Undergoes a “small change” for temporary energy
storage
Cellular respiration releases energy from glucose and stores it in the bond holding the 3rd phosphate group ATP becomes ADP (THIS IS IMPORTANT!) Tri-phosphate becomes a Di-phosphate
ATP Conversion to ADP
When a cell needs energy, it breaks the 3rd phosphate off ATP.
Adenosine P P P This creates ADP – Adenosine diphosphate ATP ADP + phosphate + energy Cell rebuilds ATP from ADP 38 ATP are obtained from 1 glucose molecule
during cellular respiration
Marathon Mouse
Review
To give you a sense of scale…
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/scale/