Chemical Building Blocks Cells Chemical Building Blocks

Chemical Building Blocks All cells are made up of matter. All matter is made up of atoms. Atoms are the very basic building blocks making up our cells.

Chemical Building Blocks A substance is matter that is the same throughout. It has the same composition and properties. It can be one kind of atom or more than one kind.

Chemical Building Blocks An element is a substance that is made up of only one kind of atom. A compound is a substance that is made up of more than one kind of element that always have the same ratio.

Chemical Building Blocks The chemicals in our bodies and other living things are either organic or inorganic substances.

Chemical Building Blocks Inorganic substances are usually from nonliving sources such as air, soil and water. Minerals are inorganic substances that are needed by our bodies such as calcium and iron. Water is the most abundant inorganic substance in our bodies.

Chemical Building Blocks Organic compounds are made up of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and other elements. Living things contain organic compounds. 2 exceptions that are not organic are carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.

Chemical Building Blocks Organic substances have 4 main groups: carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids, and proteins. Foods we eat contain these organic substances.

Chemical Building Blocks Carbohydrates are our main source of energy. They usually make up the largest part of our food intake. Carbohydrates are made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Sugars and starches are examples.

Chemical Building Blocks Lipids are fats, oils and waxes. Cholesterol is a fat produced in animals. It is needed but can be harmful in large amounts. Lipids have more energy per molecule than carbohydrates but make up less of our diet. Energy from lipids is stored and used when our supply of energy is low.

Chemical Building Blocks Nucleic acids are very large and contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorous and nitrogen. The nucleic acids give the cells instructions for carrying out the processes needed for life The 2 nucleic acids are DNA and RNA.

Chemical Building Blocks Proteins are large molecules that are made up of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sometimes sulfur. Proteins make up hair, nails, skin, muscles and blood vessels. Proteins are found in nuts, meat, beans, eggs and fish. Proteins are made up of combinations of amino acids. There are 20 amino acids that make different combinations.

Chemical Building Blocks Enzymes are proteins that help speed up chemical reactions. An example is the enzymes in saliva help break down food faster to aid digestion.