You Are What You Eat How Biochemistry Keeps Us Alive

What Are the Essential Polymers to Keep Us Alive? Proteins Carbohydrates Lipids

What Are a Polymers? Molucules made up if many small organic molecules that link together to form long chains Greek definition poly- means many meros – means part Chemical reaction called polymerization when chains are formed

What Are Proteins? Polymers containing chains of amino acids Body needs protein to survive Speed up chemical reactions within the body Structural materials: ligaments, tendons, muscle, cartilage, hair, and fingernails Hemoglobin – carries substance in the blood

Protein Body makes many proteins on its own 8 of the 21 amino acids are not produced by your body – essential proteins – must be eaten from food Essential amino acids – dairy, meat, nuts, eggs, and beans When amino acids link – water molecule is released

What are Carbohydrates? Sugars and straches Organic compound containing only carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen Ratio = 2 hydrogen, 1 oxygen, 1 carbon Carbo = carbon Hydrate = water Body breaks carbohydrates into simple sugar – used for energy

Sugars Simple sugars contain 5, 6, or 7 carbon atoms arranged in a ring Glucose and fructose – 6 carbon carbohydrates Glucose and fructose found in naturally sweet food like fruit and honey

Sucrose Combination of glucose and fructose – complex sugar Cannot move through cell membranes as sucrose Must be broken down into fructose and glucose Water must be added to create two simple sugars

Starches Large carbohydrates Grains – rice, wheat and corn Hundreds of thousands of sugar molecules join together Sugar molecule releases energy when it is broken down. Great source of energy

Cellulose Glucose polymer that consists of long chains of glucose units linked Forms long stiff fibers Celery

What Are Lipids? Organic compound that contains carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen – different ratios 3 long-chain carboxylic acids bound to alcohol – glycerol Three –OH groups Fats, oils, grease, waxes (such as bees wax)

Lipids Store Energy More concentrated source of energy than carbohydrates Eat more food than you burn – stored as permanent fat Endothermic chemical reaction – energy is absorbed Bonds broken – energy released

Saturated Lipids Single bonds mean saturated Able to pack together closely Rigid – create solid fat Butter and bacon are saturated fat – stearic acid

Unsaturated Lipids Molecule bends wherever there is a double bond Chain can’t pack closely together – usually a liquid Olive and canola oil – unsaturated – oleic acid

Cholesterol Facts #1 Complex lipid – comes from animals: meat, butter, eggs, and cheese Your body also makes cholesterol Body needs cholesterol to build cell membranes Not found in plants – plant oil is cholesterol free

Cholesterol Facts #2 High levels of cholesterol can lead to plaque Atherosclerosis – high blood pressure Heart disease and other heart problems Eat less saturated fat and cholesterol – reduce the risk of heart trouble.

Comprehension Questions Part 1 What is a polymer? What three polymers do you need to live? How many amino acids are there? Give one example of something on your body that is made up of protein? List three foods that contain protein. What are the two different names for simple sugar?

Comprehension Questions Part 2 What is the name of a complex sugar? What has to happen to sucrose before it can move through cell membranes? Give an example of a starch. Give three examples of lipids. What type of bond does a saturated fat have?

Comprehension Questions #3 List one food that has saturated fat. What type of bond does an unsaturated fat have? List one food that has unsaturated fat. What two places does cholesterol come from? What happens if you have too much cholesterol in your blood?

Works Cited