Biochemistry- Chemical Compounds

Inorganic Compounds—all other compounds that usually do not contain carbon. Exceptions to the rule: CO 2 and CaCO 3. Living organisms contain water, some salts, and bases & acids.

Organic Compounds—compounds that contain carbon, that usually are only found in living organisms or in their products. Also contain either O 2 or N, or both. Carbon atoms: -easily bond with other carbon atoms -small clusters of atoms combined with carbon, monomers, can link into repeating subunits called polymers. Large polymer s=Macromolecules

Water—most important inorganic compound (65% of body weight) It is a polar molecule: O end has - charge & H end has a + charge

The polar nature of water makes it very effective in dissolving other substances. It is these aqueous solutions that life depends on, because this is where all the chemical reactions in living things take place.

What is the characteristic of water which helps living things maintain homeostasis? Water must gain or lose a relatively large amount of energy for its temperature to change, because of the amount of energy it takes to break the polar bonds holding water together

What do all living things need to survive? ENERGY! Energy—the ability to do work or cause change. Free energy—available to fuel the cell processes of living things Redox reactions (Oxidation-Reduction Reactions)—reactions that transfer electrons between atoms. (Many chemical reactions that transfer energy in living things involve the transfer of electrons.)

Groups of Organic Compounds/Biomolecules Carbohydrates, Proteins, Lipids & Nucleic Acids

Carbohydrates—compounds made up of C, H & O. -Simply put, they are sugars -Major energy source molecules for living organisms

GlucoseFructose Monosaccharides(simplest sugars)—most common has the formula C 6 H

Disaccharide(double sugar) two monosaccharides joined together. EX: Sucrose (composed of 1 glucose molecule and 1 fructose molecule) -

Polysaccharides(complex carbohydrates)—very large molecules formed by many monosaccharides joining together. This is the form in which living things store excess sugars. Animals store excess sugar in the form of glycogen. EX: starch—found potatoes & grains Cellulose (composed of a chain of glucose molecules )

Where does water play a role in forming these organic compounds? Dehydration synthesis Two molecules join because of a loss of a water molecule Hydrolysis -Reverse process of dehydration synthesis which Breaks a part large molecules (polymers) by adding a water molecules!

What are Lipids? Lipids or “Fats”—are organic compounds that are waxy or oily. Three major roles: store energy, form membranes, & act as chemical messengers. *Do not dissolve in water. *Store more energy than carbohydrates

Lipids are combinations of fatty acids & glycerol. Fatty acid - an unbranched carbon chain with the carboxyl group, COOH, at one end. Fatty acids combine to make lipids. Triglyceride - three molecules of fatty acid combined with one molecule of the alcohol glycerol. Wax - a long fatty acid chain combined with a long alcohol chain. Steroid - an atypical lipid formed of four fused carbon rings and various functional groups. One common steroid is cholesterol.

Guess how you form a lipid when you combine fatty acids and a glycerol? Dehydration synthesis Saturated Fats—made from saturated fatty acids and found in solid form in room temperature *usually found in dairy products & meat Unsaturated Fats—made from polyunsaturated fatty acids and tend to be liquid in room temperature. *cooking oils, such as sesame, peanut & coconut oil

Other notes on lipids: Lipids are characterized by their solubility in organic solvents rather than in water. The structure of lipids shows no common features throughout the class, although the structures tend to have more carbon-hydrogen bonds than any other class of biological molecules. Unlike proteins and nucleic acids, lipids do not necessarily form polymers. In general, lipids can be found in cell membranes and in fats.

What is a protein? Proteins—compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. The skin, muscles, and enzymes of living things are composed of proteins.

What are the building blocks of proteins? Amino acids Amino acids are made of three groups: *amino group—(-NH 2 ) *carboxyl group—(-COOH) *R group—specific region of the amino acid molecule

Amino acids - these 20 chemicals are the monomer building blocks of proteins. Dipeptide - two amino acids bonded together. Polypeptide - a very long chain of bonded amino acids.

Enzymes - complex proteins that act as catalysts - making chemical reactions more energy efficient in living things. Note: Enzymes act as catalysts in the chemical reactions. A catalyst is a molecule which increases the rate of a reaction but is not the substrate or product of that reaction. A substrate is a molecule upon which an enzyme acts to yield a product. Enzymes are usually named for the substrate on which they act or the action which they perform

What are Nucleic Acids? Nucleic acids are very large and complex organic molecules that store information in cells. Measured by mass, nucleic acids are the smallest group of organic chemicals in your body. However, these large polymers are the largest single molecules in the body. Together, DNA and RNA store and transfer genetic information.

Deoxyribonucleic acid, DNA - contains information that is essential for almost all cell activities. Ribonucleic acid, RNA - stores and transfers information essential for the manufacturing of proteins. Nucleotides - the monomer molecules that link together to form DNA and RNA