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Published byChristian Clark Modified over 8 years ago
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Chemistry of Life
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A.All living things are made atoms, molecules and compounds. B.Living matter contains 25 of the 90 naturally occurring elements. 1.4 of those elements make up more than 96% of living matter. 2.The 4 elements essential to life are Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen, and Nitrogen. 3.These elements are rearranged into different configurations to create the larger molecules necessary for life. C.Many of the molecules in living cells are so large they are called macromolecules. 1.Macromolecules are formed by joining together smaller molecules (monomers) to create a large chain called a polymer. 2.This process is called polymerization. D.The 4 major macromolecules found in living things are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids (DNA/RNA).
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CH 3 OH HO O CH 3 OH Estradiol Testosterone Female lion Male lion
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A.Carbohydrates 1.Composed of Carbon, Oxygen and Hydrogen. 2.Monosaccharides- simple sugar monomers (C 6 H 12 O 6 ) (ex. Glucose, Sucrose- disaccharide) 3.Polysaccharides – complex sugar polymer composed of a chain of monosaccharides (ex. Starch, Glycogen, Cellulose) 4.Used as main source of energy in plants and animals. 5.Plants form cellulose a structural carbohydrate that animals cannot digest.
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Plant cells 0.5 m Cell walls Cellulose microfibrils in a plant cell wall Microfibril CH 2 OH OH OHOH O O O CH 2 OH O O OH O CH 2 OH OH O O CH 2 OH O O OHOH O O OHOH O O OH CH 2 OHOH O O CH 2 OH OH O CH 2 OH O O OHCH 2 OH OH Glucose monome r O O O O O O Parallel cellulose molecules are held together by hydrogen bonds between hydroxyl groups attached to carbon atoms 3 and 6. About 80 cellulose molecules associate to form a microfibril, the main architectural unit of the plant cell wall. A cellulose molecule is an unbranched glucose polymer. OH O O Cellulose molecules Cellulose
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B.Lipids 1.Composed of 3 long chains of CH 2 called a fatty acid. 2.Lipids are fats and oils and are not soluble in water. 3.Saturated fats contain no double bonds in the fatty acid chain and are solid at room temperature (unhealthy fats). 4.Unsaturated fats contain double bonds in the fatty acid chains and are liquid at room temperature (healthy fats) 5.Used for storage of unused energy, insulation and membranes. Hydrophilic head WATER Hydrophobic tail
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Stearic acid cis double bond causes bending Oleic acid Saturated fat Un-Saturated fat
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C.Proteins 1.Composed of a long chain of smaller subunits called amino acids. a.There are 20 amino acids used as the building blocks for all protein. 2.Proteins account for more than 50% of the dry mass of most cells. 3.Proteins are a diverse array of molecules that perform a variety of functions. a.Structural – molecules that support the sturcture of living organisms (hair, nail, bone, muscle). b.Transport – channels and pumps in cell membrane move things in and out of cells. c.Enzymes – MOST IMPORTANT….function as catalysts to regulate chemical reactions necessary for life. Shape of enzyme determines its function.
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N C H C O C H O H N R C R C H N H O C H C R H N C O R C H N H O C H C R H H C O R C H N H O C H C R H H C O O C C N H R C H C O H N H C R O C N H R C H C O H N H C R O C N H R C H C O H N H C R O C N H R C H C O H N C NH O C N H O C R C H R C H O C NH C O N H H C RHC R C N H O O C N H C R N HC R H C R N H O C O C N H C R H Gly Thr Gly Glu Seu Lya Cya Pro Leu Met Val Lya Val Leu Asp Ala Val Arg Gly Ser Pro Ala Pro Thr Amino acid subunits pleated sheet helix + H 3 N Amino end 1 5 10 15 20 25 C
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D.Nucleic Acids (DNA / RNA ) 1.Composed of a chain of smaller subunits called nucleotides. a.There are 5 nucleotides used as the building blocks for DNA & RNA. b.The nucleotide bases Cytosine, Guanine, Adenine, Thymine and Uracil form the genetic code for all organisms. c.The sequence of nucleotides is what provides the genetics code or instructions for life. 2.DNA and RNA molecules work together to provide the cell with instructions for making the chemicals necessary for life. 3.Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) – is the molecule that stores the genetic information necessary for life. 4.Ribonucleic acid (RNA) – is the molecule which transcribes and translates the DNA into a message the cell can read.
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1 2 3 Synthesis of mRNA in the nucleus Movement of mRNA into cytoplasm via nuclear pore Synthesis of protein NUCLEUS CYTOPLASM DNA mRNA Ribosome Amino acids Polypeptide mRNA
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