1. Biomolecules: Nucleic Acids and Proteins

2. Nucleic Acids: DNA and RNA
Carry and transmit detailed instructions for
building every human cell and
for every cell of every living organism

3. Nucleic Acids Polymer made of monomers – nucleotides
Contain – Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen and Phosphorus
Store and Transmit all genetic information
2 Types:
Deoxyribonucleic acid - DNA
Ribonucleic acid – RNA

4. Nucleic Acid Monomers - nucleotidesG T U

5. Proteins: Do All The Work
Large and complex Polymers, made up of long chains of amino acids (monomers)
Instructions for building Proteins are "written" in DNA
They have diverse biological roles/ jobs

6. Protein Jobs
Structure and support: main components of our tissues – muscle, skin, hair, ligaments, etc.
Communication & signaling – they can be signals (some hormones are proteins) or the receivers of signals (receptors)
Defense: All antibodies are proteins
Regulation: Regulate all processes in the cell
Catalysis: Enzyme are catalysts, regulation all chemical reactions in cells

7. Amino Acids – the monomers of Proteins
amino group
carboxylic acid group
Carboxyl Group
R group
All amino acids have the same general structure: the only difference between each one is the nature of the R group. So the R group defines an amino acid. It represents a side chain from the central “alpha” carbon atom, and can be anything from a simple hydrogen atom to a more complex ring structure.

8. Amino Acid – Polar or Not?

9. There are 20 Amino acids

10. Building Proteins from Amino Acids
Dehydration synthesis:
Carboxyl Group of 1st Amino
Acid is linked to the Amino
Group of the 2nd Amino Acid and
1 molecule of water is removed.
The bond formed is called a
Peptide bond/Peptide linkage.
Dipeptide – 2 Amino Acids linked
repeat steps to produce
Polypeptide – many Amino Acids linked

11. Polypeptides
When more amino acids are added to a dipeptide, a polypeptide chain is formed.
A protein consists of one or more polypeptide chains folded into a highly specific 3D shape. Each Protein has a unique 3D Shape which is determined by the order in which the Amino Acids are arranged

12. Protein Structure
There are up to four levels of structure in a protein:
primary - the order, sequence of amino acids
secondary - hydrogen bonds cause simple folding of the chain
tertiary – 3D folding - shape of protein
quaternary – when 2 or more polypeptide chains interact

14. Structure of hemoglobin

15. How is the 3D Shape held together?
hydrogen bonds: involved in all levels of structure.
hydrophobic interactions: between non-polar sections of the protein.
disulfide bonds: one of the strongest and most important type of bond in proteins. Occur between two cysteine amino acids.

17. How can we destroy the shape of a Protein?
hydrogen bonds: involved in all levels of structure.
hydrophobic interactions: between non-polar sections of the protein.
disulfide bonds: one of the strongest and most important type of bond in proteins. Occur between two cysteine amino acids.