1. Biomolecules
Introduction ~ Part 1 ~

2. Chemistry of Life
1. Life requires about 25 of the 92 naturally occurring chemical elements.
A. Carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen make up 96% of living matter.
B. Phosphorus, sulfur, calcium and potassium make up most of the remaining 4%.

3. Chemical Bonds 1. Atoms combine by chemical bonding to form molecules.
A. Atoms react with each other by either sharing or transferring electrons.
B. These interactions usually result in atoms staying close together, held by attractions called chemical bonds.

4. Chemical Bonds
1. Covalent bonding: occurs when the outer electrons are shared between two atoms.
2. Hydrogen bonding:
a very weak bond between an atom of hydrogen and another atom.
3. Ionic bonding: occurs when the outer electrons are stripped away creating + and – ions.

5. Compounds
1. Compounds = substances that are composed of 2 or more elements combined in a fixed ratio
2. Types of compounds:
A. Inorganic compounds
B. Organic compounds

6. Compounds
1. Inorganic: does NOT contain carbon A. Example: Water - H2O 2. Organic: Compounds that contain CARBON. A. Example: Glucose –C6H12O6

7. Carbon (C)
1. Carbon can form covalent bonds with as many as 4 other atoms (elements). 2. Usually with C, H, O or N a. Carbon b. Hydrogen c. Oxygen d. Nitrogen 3. Example: CH4 (methane)

8. Biomolecules
1. Cells are composed of organic compounds called biomolecules
2. These biomolecules include:
a. carbohydrates
b. lipids
c. proteins
d. nucleic acids
3. These four types of biomolecules are know as macromolecules
4. These substances are used by your cells and often obtained through foods you eat

9. Macromolecules
1. Macromolecules - Large molecules. Also known as polymers. 2. Polymer - Large molecule made of many subunits (monomers) 3. Monomer - Small molecules (subunits) that make up a polymer (macromolecule).

10. Understanding the Vocabulary
Photo by Toni Lozano
When we say “polymer” we are referring to the whole molecule. What would you call the entire object above?
It is a chain. I would say that chains are like polymers.

11. It is a link. I would say that links are like monomers.
Polymer: chain
Monomer: link
Photo by Toni Lozano
When we say “monomer” we are referring to the individual piece that keeps repeating. What would you call the individual pieces of a chain?
It is a link. I would say that links are like monomers.

12. The entire chain is the polymer, and each monkey is a monomer.
In this picture, what would you say is the polymer, and what would be the monomers?
The entire chain is the polymer, and each monkey is a monomer.

13. Dehydration Synthesis
1. When polymers form (putting monomers together) the process is known as dehydration synthesis.
A. an H and OH are given off to form H2O.
B. the result is the synthesis (building) of a new polymer.

14. Hydrolysis
1. When polymers break down, the process is known as hydrolysis.
A. water is added to the split the molecules.
3. This results in breaking down a polymer into monomers).