| 
  • If you are citizen of an European Union member nation, you may not use this service unless you are at least 16 years old.

  • You already know Dokkio is an AI-powered assistant to organize & manage your digital files & messages. Very soon, Dokkio will support Outlook as well as One Drive. Check it out today!

View
 

Biologically Important Molecules

Page history last edited by Graeme Parke 13 years, 1 month ago

The Basic Chemical Units

 

'   the study of chemical reactions in living things is called biochemistry

'   the most  important small molecules are O2, CO2, and H2O

E.g. cellular respiration:

 

C6H12O6  +  6O2  à  6CO2  +  6H2O  +  energy

glucose         oxygen         carbon          water

dioxide

 

Water (H20): The Primary Molecule of Life

 

'   water is the most abundant molecule in any cell

'   it has very unique chemical properties that allow it to have many functions:

'   remains a liquid over a large temperature range

'   dissolves most substances involved in living processes (universal solvent)

'   changes temperature gradually when heated or cooled (protects cell from changes in the environment)

'   expands when it becomes a solid (floats when it freezes)

'   water is polar – uneven charge distribution

'   water attracts (and dissolves) other polar molecules

 

Organic Compounds

'   these are molecules that contain both carbon and hydrogen

'   many organic molecules contain other important elements such as O, N, P, and S

'    it is living cells that make many organic molecules e.x. glucose

'    both plants and animals use glucose as food and it is a subunit that makes up a larger molecule called a macromolecule.

 

'   We will be studying four macromolecules:

ü     carbohydrates

ü     lipids (Fats)            

ü     proteins

ü     nucleic acids

 

 

A)    The Structure and Biological Function of Carbohydrates

 

'   carbohydrates are carbons with water attached to them

CH2O        or             glucose C6H12O6

'   carbohydrates provide short or long term energy storage for living organisms

'   a monosaccharide (or simple sugar) is  a carbohydrate molecule with 3 to 7 carbon atoms and the corresponding oxygen and hydrogen atoms:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Examples: glucose, "blood sugar", the immediate source of energy for cellular respiration, galactose, a sugar in milk (and yogurt), and fructose, a sugar found in fruit. All are C6H12O6 which are structural isomers.

galactose                                 fructose

                          

'   when two of these simple sugars come together a disaccharide is created

'   Example maltose (glucose and glucose)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sucrose – the sweet sugar we eat, is a disaccharide of glucose and fructose

Lactose – the sugar in milk, is galactose and glucose

 

'   a polysaccharide is made up of many simple sugars linked together

'   the three main polysaccharides are:

'   starch – energy storage in plants

'   glycogen – energy storage in animals

'   cellulose – structural molecule in plant cell walls

'   each are made up of repeating units of glucose but all have different shapes

'   cellulose stores huge amounts of energy but only a few bacterial species contain the enzymes to break it down

'    animals such as cattle, rabbits and termites harbor these bacteria in their guts, humans cannot digest cellulose

 

B)    The Structure and Biological Function of Lipids

 

'   lipids are macromolecules that do not dissolve in water (they are non-polar)

'   provide long term nutrient and energy storage (2.25 times as much energy as 1 gram of carbohydrates), insulation, hormones, and cushioning of internal organs

'   primary part of cell membranes

'   the basic structure: 1 molecule of glycerol and 3 molecules of fatty acid

 

'   this is called a triglyceride

'   a fatty acid is a hydrocarbon chain with a difference: at one end, the carbon has an acidic  COOH group

'   the glycerol molecule is always the same but the fatty acids may be different

'   in a saturated fatty acid all of the carbons are bonded to 4 other atoms

'   in an unsaturated fatty acid some of the carbons have a double bond between them thus leaving room for other hydrogen molecules to bond

'   unsaturated fatty acids tend to be liquid and saturated tend to be solid

saturated fatty acids                unsaturated fatty acids

 

 

c) The Structure and Biological Function of Proteins

 

'   most cellular structures are made of proteins

'   their main function is structure but they also:

'   function as enzymes

'   transport molecules across cell membranes and around the body

'   act as chemical messengers

'   the building blocks of  proteins are amino acids

 

'   peptide bonds are what join amino acids together (R group is not involved)

'   a chain of amino acids, not yet a protein, is called a polypeptide

'   the final 3-D shape of the protein determines its function (see page 16)

 

'   denatured is the term applied to a protein that has been damaged (changed shape) e.g. exposure to extreme temperatures or acid

'   humans need 20 amino acids – 12 of which your body makes from non-protein food sources

'   the other 8 must be obtained from food and these are referred to as the essential amino acids

D) Nucleic Acids

'   these molecules direct the growth and development of every living thing by means of a chemical code

'   there are 2 types: RNA (ribonucleic acid) and DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

'   RNA contains the info to make proteins. DNA contains the info to make RNA.

'   nucleic acids are made up of smaller parts called nucleotides

'   there are 4 types of nucleotides for DNA (A,C,G, and T) and 4 counterpart RNA nucleotides (A,C,G, and U)

'   RNA consists of a single, long chain of nucleotides

'   DNA has 2 enormous nucleotide chains linked in a double helix shape

 

Structure of a Nucleotide                                 The Bonding of DNA

The Double Helix

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

carbohydrates

lipids

proteins

nucleic acids

Building blocks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

chains

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

functions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

examples

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Basic Chemical Units

 

'    the study of chemical reactions in living things is called ____________________

'    the most  important small molecules are O2, CO2, and H2O

E.g. cellular respiration:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Water: The Primary Molecule of Life

'    water is the ______________________ molecule in any cell

'    it has very unique chemical properties that allow it to have many functions:

'    remains ________________ over a large _________________range

'    _________________ most substances involved in living processes (universal solvent)

'    changes temperature ______________ when heated or cooled (protects cell from changes in the environment)

'    ______________________ when it becomes a solid (floats when it freezes)

 

'    water is ___________________________________________

'    water _______________ (and dissolves) other polar molecules

 

Organic Compounds

'    these are molecules that contain both _______________________________

'    many organic molecules contain other important elements such as ________________

'    it is _______________ that make many organic molecules e.x. glucose

 

'    both plants and animals use ________________ and it is a subunit that makes up a larger molecule called a _______________________.

 

'    We will be studying four macromolecules:

 

ü       

ü     

ü     

ü     

 

A)       The Structure and Biological Function of Carbohydrates

 

'    carbohydrates are ____________________________________ attached to them

CH2O          or                glucose C6H12O6

'    carbohydrates provide ____________________________________________________ for living organisms

'    a monosaccharide (or _______________) is  a carbohydrate molecule with 3 to 7 carbon atoms and the corresponding oxygen and hydrogen atoms:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Examples: glucose, "blood sugar", the immediate source of energy for cellular respiration, galactose, a sugar in milk (and yogurt), and fructose, a sugar found in fruit. All are C6H12O6 which are structural isomers.

galactose                                          fructose

                              

 

 

'    when _____ of these simple sugars come together a ___________________ is created

 

'    Example maltose (glucose and glucose)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sucrose – the sweet sugar we eat, is a disaccharide of glucose and fructose

Lactose – the sugar in milk, is galactose and glucose

                           

 

'    a polysaccharide is made up of _________________ simple sugars linked together

'    the three main polysaccharides are:

'    starch – energy storage in __________________

'    glycogen – energy storage in ________________

'    cellulose – structural molecule in ________________

'    each are made up of repeating units of ___________but all have different shapes

'    cellulose stores huge amounts of energy but only a few___________ species contain the ___________________ to break it down

'    animals such as ____________________________________ harbor these bacteria in their guts , humans cannot digest cellulose

B)       The Structure and Biological Function of Lipids

 

'    lipids are macromolecules that _______________________ in water (they are non-polar)

'    provide _________________ nutrient and energy storage (2.25 times as much energy as 1 gram of carbohydrates), insulation,________________, and cushioning of internal organs

'    primary part of ___________________________

'    the basic structure: 1 molecule of glycerol and 3 molecules of fatty acid

 

'    this is called a ______________________

'    a fatty acid is a hydrocarbon chain with a difference: at one end, the carbon has an acidic  __________________

'    this acidic group attaches to the __________________ and creates a non polar molecule

'    the glycerol molecule is always the same but the fatty acids may be _________________

'    in a saturated fatty acid all of the carbons are bonded to ________________________

'    in an unsaturated fatty acid some of the carbons have a ___________________ between them thus leaving room for other hydrogen molecules to bond

'    unsaturated fatty acids tend to be ____________and saturated tend to be __________

saturated fatty acids                unsaturated fatty acids

 

c) The Structure and Biological Function of Proteins

 

'    most cellular structures are made of proteins

'    their main function is structure but they also:

'    function as _______________

'    ____________________ across cell membranes and around the body

'    act as chemical messengers

'    the building blocks of  proteins are __________________

 

'    peptide bonds are what ______________________________ (R group is not involved)

 

'    a _________________________________, not yet a protein, is called a polypeptide

'    the final __________________ of the protein determines its function (see page 16)

 

'    denatured is the term applied to a protein that has been _________________________ e.g. exposure to extreme temperatures

'    humans need _____________ amino acids – 12 of which your body makes from non-protein food sources

'    the other 8 must be _________________________ and these are referred to as the essential amino acids

 

D) Nucleic Acids

'    these molecules direct the growth and development of every living thing by means of a chemical code

'    there are 2 types: __________(ribonucleic acid) and __________(deoxyribonucleic acid)

'    RNA contains the info to make _____________. DNA contains the info to make ________.

'    nucleic acids are made up of ___________________________________

'    there are 4 types of nucleotides for DNA (_____________) and 4 counterpart RNA nucleotides (_______________)

'    RNA consists of a _____________________________ of nucleotides

'    DNA has 2 enormous nucleotide chains linked in a ____________________________

 

Structure of a Nucleotide                                 The Bonding of DNA

The Double Helix

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

carbohydrates

lipids

proteins

nucleic acids

Building blocks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

chains

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

functions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

examples

 

 

 

 

 

 

Practice Drawing/Building Organic Compounds

 

Simple Sugar and Carbohydrates 

Draw a glucose molecule

 

 

 

 

 

Draw a maltose molecule

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is the name of the reaction that creates this disaccharide?

 

 

What is the name of the resulting linkage?

 

Proteins 

What are the building blocks of proteins?

 

 

Draw a sketch of this subunit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Show how these subunits assembly to form a polypeptide (draw the reaction): 

 

 

What is the name of this reaction?

 

What type of bond has formed?

 

Lipids 

 

What are the two main subunits that make up a lipid?

 

Draw a sketch of a triglyceride:

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is the difference between a saturated and unsaturated fatty acid?

 

 

 

Draw a sketch of each type:

 

 

 

Nucleic Acid 

What are the two kinds of nucleic acids?

 

 

What is the subunit that makes up a nucleotide?

 

 

What are the three parts of this subunit?

 

 

 

Draw a sketch of this subunit:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments (0)

You don't have permission to comment on this page.