MACROMOLECULE REVIEW

Carbon Compounds Most matter in your body that is not water is made of organic compounds Organic compounds contain carbon atoms that are covalently bonded to other elements Four principal classes of organic compounds are found in living things –Carbohydrates –Lipids –Proteins –Nucleic Acids

Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are organic compounds made of carbon, hydrogen, & oxygen atoms in the proportion of 1:2:1 Key source of energy Include: –Monosaccharide –Disaccharides –Polysaccharides

Lipids Lipids are varied in structure. Many are insoluble in water. Includes: –Saturated Fats –Unsaturated Fats –Glycerol –Triglycerides

Proteins A protein is usually a large molecule formed by linked smaller molecules called amino acids

Amino Acids Are the building blocks of proteins. 20 different amino acids are found in proteins

Nucleic Acids Nucleotides are a molecular complex of three types of molecules: a phosphate (phosphoric acid), a pentose sugar, and a nitrogen- containing base.

Enzymes Enzymes are chemical substances in living things that act as catalysts & reduce the amount of activation energy needed Organisms contain thousands of different enzymes Most enzymes end with –ase (e.g. lipase is the enzyme that acts on lipids)

Enzyme Specificity A substance on which an enzyme acts during a chemical reaction is called a substrate Starch is amylase’s substrate Starchglucose amylase

Active Site An enzyme’s shape determines its activity An enzyme is a large protein with one or more deep folds on its surface These folds form pockets called active sites