1. Building Blocks of Life
Chemistry of Carbon
Building Blocks of Life

2. Chemistry of Life Carbon chemistry = organic chemistry
Why is it a foundational atom?
What makes it so important?
Can’t be a good building block if you only form 1 or 2 bonds.

3. Why study Carbon? All of life is built on carbon Cells ~72% H2O
~25% carbon compounds
carbohydrates
lipids
proteins
nucleic acids
~3% salts
Na, Cl, K…
Why do we study carbon -- is it the most abundant element in living organisms?
H & O most abundant
C is the next most abundant

4. Chemistry of Life Organic chemistry is the study of carbon compounds.
All living things have carbon in it! Therefore…all living things are organic!
C atoms are versatile building blocks
Very reactive atom.
Outer most shell needs four more electrons to be full or stable.
Can form up to 4 stable covalent bonds
Carbon chemistry = organic chemistry
Why is it a foundational atom?
What makes it so important?
Can’t be a good building block if you only form 1 or 2 bonds.

5. Let’s review the hierarchy of life
Atom
Element
Molecule
Organelle
Cell
Tissue
Organ
Organ system
Organism
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biosphere
Whew! Glad you didn’t forget that!
Did I mention this will be on your final exam in May?

6. We are adding 3 more! Atom Element Molecule Monomers Polymers
Macromolecule
Organelle
Cell
Tissue
Organ
Organ system
Organism
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biosphere

7. What is a monomer? What does the prefix “mono” mean? ONE!
A single (one unit) that are building blocks of larger molecules.
LEGO?
LETTERS of the alphabet? B I O S F U N

8. MONO+MONO+MONO+MONO=POLY
What is a polymer?
MONO+MONO+MONO+MONO=POLY
What does the prefix “poly” mean?
MANY!
Polymers are many monomers joined together
LETTERS of the alphabet?
Consider the previous slide… B I O S F U N
BIO Is
fun

9. Dehydration synthesis
Polymers
Long molecules built by linking repeating building blocks in a chain
monomers
building blocks
repeated small units
covalent bonds
H2O HO H
• great variety of polymers can be built from a small set of monomers
• monomers can be connected in many combinations like the 26 letters in the alphabet can be used to create a great diversity of words
• each cell has millions of different macromolecules
Dehydration of banana
Dehydration synthesis

10. Dehydration Synthesis or Condensation Reaction.

11. You gotta be open to “bonding!
How to build a polymer
You gotta be open to “bonding!
Synthesis
joins monomers by “taking” H2O out
one monomer donates OH–
other monomer donates H+
together these form H2O
requires energy & enzymes
H2O HO H
enzyme
Dehydration synthesis
Condensation reaction

12. Hydrolysis or Digestion

13. How to break down a polymer
Breaking up is hard to do!
Digestion
use H2O to breakdown polymers
reverse of dehydration synthesis
cleave off one monomer at a time
H2O is split into H+ and OH–
H+ & OH– attach to ends
requires enzymes
releases energy
H2O HO H
enzyme
Most macromolecules are polymers
• build:
condensation (dehydration) reaction
• breakdown:
hydrolysis
An immense variety of polymers can be built from a small set of monomers
Hydrolysis
Digestion

14. What is a macromolecule?
What does the prefix “micro” mean?
SMALL
What does the prefix “macro” mean?
LARGE!
Macromolecules are many monomers and/or polymers joined together to form very LARGE molecules.

15. BIO + IS + FUN = BIO IS FUN
Letters of the alphabet represent monomers.
Letters combine to make words represent monomers combining to make polymers.
Combing words to make sentences represent combining polymers to make macromolecules!

16. Building? Breaking? Use the correct term… Hydrolysis or
digestion
Dehydration synthesis or
Condensation reaction

17. Building? Breaking? Use the correct term… Dehydration synthesis or
Condensation reaction
Hydrolysis or
digestion

18. Building? Breaking?
Use the correct term…
Hydrolysis or
digestion

19. Building? Breaking? Use the correct term… Dehydration synthesis or
Condensation reaction

20. Building? Breaking?
Use the correct term…
Hydrolysis or
digestion

21. Building? Breaking? Use the correct term… Dehydration synthesis or
Condensation reaction

22. Building? Breaking?
Use the correct term…
Hydrolysis or
digestion

23. Building Blocks of Life
4 Macromolecules
Building Blocks of Life

24. Macromolecules
Smaller organic molecules join together to form larger molecules
macromolecules
4 major classes of macromolecules:
carbohydrates
lipids
proteins
nucleic acids