1. The Building Blocks of Life
Biological Molecules
The Building Blocks of Life

2. As review, sketch a diagram of an atom and label the particles.
Before we begin, get out a piece of paper, put your name on it, and do the following:
As review, sketch a diagram of an atom and label the particles.
Sketch a water molecule, and state what kind of bonds form between the oxygen and hydrogen atoms in water. W O R K T G E H

3. Which four elements make up about 96% of living matter?
carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen
carbon, sulfur, phosphorous, hydrogen
carbon, oxygen, sulfur, calcium
oxygen, hydrogen, calcium, sodium

4. An atom of nitrogen attracts electrons more strongly than an atom of hydrogen. Which of the following best describes ammonia (NH3)?
The nitrogen is slightly negative.
The nitrogen is strongly positive.
The hydrogens are slightly negative.
The hydrogens are strongly positive.

5. Carbon is the backbone of organic molecules
Carbon is the backbone of organic molecules. With an atomic number of 6, carbon can form up to ___ different ___ bonds.
6; ionic
6; covalent
4; ionic
4; covalent

6. Atoms to Molecules

7. In our model of scale, remember that the marble represented a small monomer, such as glucose.

8. Why does sugar dissolve in water?
Functional Groups
Functional groups determine how a molecule will interact with other molecules.
Why does sugar dissolve in water?

10. The methyl group, consisting of carbon bonded to hydrogen, is an area of ___ in an organic molecule.
Polarity
Non-polarity

11. If you see oxygen or nitrogen in the structure of an organic molecule, expect that area to be:
Polar
Non-polar

12. One glucose molecule alone is a monomer.
Two or more glucose molecules linked together can make a polymer.

13. Dehydration Synthesis
Two glucose molecules (monomers)...
...can bond together to make maltose (dimer).

14. Hydrolysis ...can be broken apart into its constituent monomers.
A dimer such as maltose, or any other polymer...
...can be broken apart into its constituent monomers.

15. Making/Breaking Molecules
Monomers or Polymers?
The process occurring between C and A is:
The process occurring between A and C is:
Hydrolysis
Dehydration Synthesis
What is given off here?
What is taken up here?
H2O
H2O
Monomer or Polymer?

16. In our model of scale, large chain molecules (polymers) are represented by the cat.

17. Carbohydrates

18. Monomers
Simple sugars, such as glucose, are the monomers of complex carbohydrates.
Label a hydrogen group and hydroxyl group on the glucose diagram. What are some properties of these groups?

19. What is similar about these four simple sugars?
What is different?

20. What is the scientific term for a pair of monomers linked together?
glucose
fructose
sucrose
What process do you see happening here to create this glycosidic linkage between the two sugars?
What is the scientific term for a pair of monomers linked together?

21. What is the scientific term for many monomers linked together?
Glycosidic linkages between many sugar molecules create complex carbohydrates, such as starch.
What is the scientific term for many monomers linked together?

22. Cellulose
Hemp
Cotton
Rayon
Dietary “fiber”
Linen

23. How is cellulose similar to starch?
What do you see in the structure of cellulose that tells you that it is a carbohydrate?
How is cellulose similar to starch?

24. Cellulose vs. Starch
We can digest starch (amylose) but not cellulose. What difference do you see that might be the reason behind this?

25. In general, how can we describe complex carbohydrates?
Chitin
Pectin
In general, how can we describe complex carbohydrates?

26. Some people claim that sugar is harmful, toxic, or addictive. Is it?
White death?
Some people claim that sugar is harmful, toxic, or addictive. Is it?

27. Fake sugar?

28. Complex carbohydrates are:
Polymers of simple sugars.
Monomers of simple sugars.

29. True or false: Sugars and starch have a lot of fat in them.

30. W O R K T G E H
Look around you. What are some specific examples of carbohydrates that are in this room right now?
List some specific carbohydrates that you ate for breakfast. Not the foods that they were in – name the carbohydrates themselves.

31. Lipids

32. Label a methyl group and a hydroxyl group on one of the fatty acids
Label a methyl group and a hydroxyl group on one of the fatty acids. What are some properties of these groups?
What process do you see happening here to create these ester bonds between the fatty acid chains and the glycerol in this triglyceride?

33. Lipids that are solid at room temperature are composed mostly of saturated fatty acids.
Stearic acid (found in wax and lard) and butyric acid (found in butter) are examples of saturated fatty acids.

34. Lipids that are liquid at room temperature are composed mostly of unsaturated fatty acids.
Oleic acid and linoleic acid are unsaturated fatty acids that are common in vegetable oils.

35. Saturated vs. Unsaturated

36. A puzzle:
Shortening and margarine labels often brag that their products are made with healthy, unsaturated vegetable oils. Vegetable oils are liquid at room temperature. So why are shortening and margarine solid at room temperature?

38. Unsaturated fats bend because of the cis configuration
Trans fats?
Unsaturated fats bend because of the cis configuration
Trans configuration results in an unsaturated fatty acid that is a straight chain like a saturated fatty acid
Trans fats are rare in nature. Hydrogenation can create both saturated and trans fatty acids.

39. Saturated or unsaturated?
Phospholipids
Saturated or unsaturated?
Label the phosphate group on this phospholipid. What are some properties of this group?

40. Steroids

41. Fake fat?
What do you see in this molecular structure that suggests why Olestra is not digested? Why might it cause the symptoms described on the label?

42. How are carbohydrates and lipids different from one another?K T G E H
List some examples of lipids or fatty acids – not the foods that contain them, but specific lipids.
How are carbohydrates and lipids different from one another?

43. A fatty acid consists of:
A chain of carbon and hydrogen atoms.
A chain of sugar molecules.
A chain of any carbon-containing monomers.

44. Why can’t you mix oil and water?
Oil floats on water.
Oil is more dense than water.
Oil is non-polar, while water is polar.
Oil is an organic molecule, while water is not.

45. Which of these is the largest object?
A carbon atom.
A fatty acid.
A phospholipid.
A cell membrane.

46. Proteins

47. Amino acids are the monomers of proteins.
Amino group
Carboxylic acid group
Amino acids are the monomers of proteins.
On your diagram, label the amino group and the carboxylic acid group. What are some properties of these groups?

48. R-groups determine the properties of individual amino acids.

50. What is the scientific term for many monomers linked together?
What process do you see happening here to create this peptide bond between the two amino acids?
What is the scientific term for many monomers linked together?

52. Some proteins, like keratin, are structural proteins.

53. Actin and myosin fibers in muscle cells, spider webs, and silk are also structural proteins.

54. Some proteins, such as insulin, are hormones.

55. Some proteins are enzymes that build or break down other molecules in living cells.

56. Some proteins are structured to carry or move substances, such as hemoglobin that carries oxygen, or cell membrane proteins that move substances across the membrane.

57. Heat, acidity, or both can denature proteins
Heat, acidity, or both can denature proteins. Denaturing changes the shape of a protein, which changes its appearance and functionality. Denaturing is what happens when we fry an egg (egg whites contain albumin protein) or use acids to turn milk into cheese (milk solids contain casein proteins).

58. The shape of a protein determines its function.
The shape of an individual protein is determined by the order of amino acids in the primary chain, which affects how the amino acid chain twists and folds into the final shape of the protein.
DNA contains the code that instructs the cell machinery to put amino acids together in a particular order to make a particular protein. As long as the DNA contains the correct code, the protein will function. Mistakes in the code (mutations) change the order of amino acids, which changes the structure of the protein, which prevents the protein from carrying out its function.

59. True or False: Meat is an example of a protein.
True: Meat is an important dietary protein.
False: Meat is muscle tissue that is made up of many different proteins, lipids, and other molecules.

60. ___ bonds are responsible for primary structure of proteins, while ___ bonds contribute to the secondary structure.
Ionic; covalent
Peptide; hydrogen
Peptide; covalent
Hydrogen; ionic

61. When we say “proteins are made of amino acids,” it means that:
Proteins are larger than amino acids.
Amino acids are larger than proteins.
Both amino acids and proteins are about the same size.

62. Why are there so many different kinds of proteins?G E H
List some examples of specific proteins – again, not foods that contain proteins, but specific proteins.
Why are there so many different kinds of proteins?

63. Nucleic Acids

64. Monomers Label the parts on this nucleotide.
Is this a nucleotide of DNA or RNA? How can you tell?

65. Nucleotides link together to form nucleic acids
Nucleotides link together to form nucleic acids. The sugars bind to the phosphate groups to form the backbone of the chain.

66. DNA is two strands of nucleotides side-by-side.
What is the type of bond that forms the cross-links holding the two strands together?

67. ATP
Adenosine triphosphate, the universal energy carrier, is a single nucleotide (adenine) with two extra phosphate groups attached.

68. DNA is found inside of the nucleus of a:
Cell
Atom
Both

69. Monomers Polymers Examples Try to fill in this table from memory:
Simple sugars
Amino acids
Fatty acids & glycerol
Nucleotide
Complex Carbohydrates
Starch, Cellulose, etc.
Hemoglobin, Keratin, etc.
Proteins
Fats, waxes, oils, steroids.
Lipids
DNA, RNA
Nucleic Acids

70. Observe the structure of each of these monomers and identify them.W O R K T G E H
Observe the structure of each of these monomers and identify them. 1 2
Sugar
Amino Acid 3
Fatty Acid

71. The circled objects in our scale model represent...W O R K T G E H
Small
Molecule
Chain
Molecule
Atom

72. Recap
Atoms of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and a few other elements bond together covalently to make the biological molecules.
Monomers (small molecules, such as glucose) bond together to form polymers (large chain molecules, such as complex carbohydrates).
The four classes of biological molecules are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.