1. The Building Blocks of Cells

2. Warm-UP Which 3 elements are the most abundant in living organisms?
Carbon, Oxygen, Hydrogen
B. Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium
C. Nitrogen, Zinc, Iron

3. Elements & Compounds Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen are elements.
Elements are substances that cannot be broken down into simpler substances. The smallest unit of an element is an atom.
When 2 or more elements combine they form compounds.

4. THINK: Match the Compound to its Elements
Water
Salt
Chalk
Calcium (Ca) + Carbon (C) + Oxygen(O)
Sodium (Na) + Chlorine (Cl)
Hydrogen (H) + Oxygen (O)

5. Two Classes of Compounds
Inorganic compounds: DO NOT contain the element Carbon
THINK: Is water (H2O) inorganic?
THINK: Is salt (NaCl) inorganic?
Organic compounds: DO contain the element Carbon. The 4 most important organic compounds found in cells are:
Carbohydrates
Lipids
Proteins
Nucleic Acids

6. Building Blocks of Cells: Carbohydrates
STRUCTURE:
Made up of C, H, & O
Example: Sugar (Glucose), Starch, Cellulose
FUNCTION
Provides the cell with quick energy
Gives structure to cell walls and cell membranes
Glucose

7. THINK!! Which organelle uses sunlight to make food (glucose)?
Chloroplast
Which organelle breaks down glucose in order to provide the cell with the energy?
Mitochondria

8. Building Blocks of Cells: Lipids
STRUCTURE:
Made up of C, H, & O
Does not dissolve in water
Example: Waxes, Fats, Oils
FUNCTION
Provides the cell with long-term energy
The MAJORITY of the cell membrane is made of a special lipid called phospholipids

9. Building Blocks of Cells: Proteins
STRUCTURE:
Made up of C, H, O, & Nitrogen (N)
Made up of smaller molecules called amino acids
These amino acids link together to form a chain
The way this chain folds gives the protein its job

10. What do cells use proteins for?
FUNCTION
Some proteins speed up chemical reactions: Enzymes
Some are important parts of cell membranes
Some are used to build organelles and other body parts (eg. hair, nails, etc.)

11. Building Blocks of Cells: Nucleic Acids
STRUCTURE:
Made up of C, H, O, & P (phosphorous)
Example: DNA & RNA
FUNCTION
Contains the info for all cell functions
DNA = Stores hereditary information
RNA = Used when making proteins
DNA