1. The building block of life.
Biological Molecules
The building block of life.

2. Carbon
All living and once-living things are made up of the element carbon
Carbon is unique because it can make up to four strong covalent bonds
Bonds can be single, double, or triple bonds
Carbon compounds form 3 main shapes:

3. Straight Chains

4. Branched Chains

5. And Rings

6. Structures A single chain or ring is called a monomer
Many monomers can join together to make a large “macromolecule” called a polymer
A reaction that combines two or monomers is called a condensation reaction
H2O is also produced through condensation reactions
Also called dehydration synthesis

7. Structures The opposite of dehydration synthesis is hydrolysis
Water (H2O) is added to a polymer and breaks the bonds linking two monomers together
rolysis.html

8. Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are compounds made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a 1:2:1 ratio (example: CH2O, C6H12O6)
All living things use carbs as their main source of energy
Plants use starch
Animals use glycogen
Carbohydrates are also used for structure in cells
Plants have cellulose in their cell walls
Fungi have chitin in their cell wall and insects have chitin in their exoskeletons

9. Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are sugars, or saccharides
A single sugar molecule is called a monosaccharide
Glucose is a very important monosaccharide and makes up many more complex sugars
Other examples of monosaccharides include:
Sucrose – table sugar
Lactose, found in milk
Fructose, found in most fruits

10. Carbohydrates
Many monosaccharides linked together are called polysaccharides
Starch, glycogen are long chains of glucose molecules
Cellulose and chitin are also polysaccharides

11. Proteins
Proteins are made up of the elements carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur
Proteins are polymers of molecules called amino acids
More than 20 different amino acids exist in nature

12. Proteins

13. Proteins Proteins have four main shapes
Straight chain of amino acids
Chain with twisted amino acids
Twisted and folded chain
Knotted chain
Protein chains are connected by two bonded sulfur atoms, called disulfide bridges

14. Proteins
Proteins control the rates of reactions and regulate cell processes (enzymes)
Proteins also provide structure within living things
Examples:
Collagen makes up cartilage, tendons (muscles), skin, and bones
Keratin makes up horns, feathers, hair, and finger nails
Enzymes increase reaction rates
Carbonic anhydrase quickly removes carbon dioxide from the bloodstream
Lactase breaks down lactose

15. Lipids Lipids are made up of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and phosphorous
Lipids are fats, oils, waxes, and steroids
Lipids are made up of a glycerol backbone and fatty acid chains

16. Lipids
Glycerol
Fatty Acids

17. Lipids

18. Lipids
A saturated fatty acid is a fatty acid chain where all carbons are linked by single bonds
Saturated fats are solids at room temperature
An unsaturated fatty acid is a fatty acid chain where there is at least one double bond between two carbon atoms
The fatty acid chains are bent where there are double bonds
Unsaturated fats are liquids at room temperature

19. Lipids Lipids are used for long-term energy storage
Fats are used for energy storage
Lipids are also used in cell membranes and to deliver chemical messages
Phospholipids make up cell membranes
Steroids include hormones, which deliver chemical messages, and cholesterol
Waxes include ear wax, beeswax, and the waterproof wax coating on plant stems and leaves

20. Lipids

21. Nucleic Acids
Nucleic acids are made up of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorous, and nitrogen
Nucleic acids are made up of nucleotides
Nucleotides are made up of
5-Carbon sugar – deoxyribose (DNA) or ribose (RNA)
Nitrogen base – A, T, G, C, or U
Phosphate group

22. Nucleic Acids
Nucleic Acids store genetic information (DNA) or synthesize, or put together, proteins (RNA)
The order of the nitrogen base pairs determine genetic code
DNA has adenine (A), guanine (G), thymine (T), and cytosine (C)
RNA has A, G, C, and uracil (U) instead of T
A always joins T or U and G always joins C

23. Nucleic Acids DNA has a double helix shape
RNA has a single helix shape