1. Discover Activity: What is a Compound?
Ch. 3-1: Chemical Compounds in Cells Key Concepts: Define elements and compounds. Explain how water is important to the function of cells. Identify the four main kinds of organic compounds in living things.
Discover Activity: What is a Compound?
See if you can match up the following compounds with their common names and chemical names.
1. Sodium bicarbonate _______________________________________
Calcium carbonate _______________________________________
Sodium chloride _______________________________________
Zinc oxide _______________________________________
Hydrogen oxide _______________________________________
Write a definition for what you think a chemical compound is:
_____________________________________________________________________

2. Elements and Compounds
An element is any substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances.
Elements
When two or more elements combine chemically.
The smallest unit of any compound is called a molecule.
Compounds
Water molecules are made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
Most chemical reactions within cells could not take place without water.
Compound Called Water

3. Elements and Compounds
Organic Compounds
Compounds that contain carbon.
Compounds that don’t contain carbon.
Inorganic Compounds

4. Organic Compounds
Energy-rich organic compound made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
Carbohydrates
Sugars: produced during food-making process that takes place in plants.
Starches: Complex carbohydrates that your body breaks down into glucose that cells use to produce energy.
Examples of
Carbohydrates
Energy-rich organic compound made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
Cells store energy in lipids for later use.
Example: hibernating bear
Lipids

5. Organic Compounds
Large organic molecules made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and in some cases, sulfur.
Proteins
Made up of small molecules called amino acids.
The order of the amino acids determines the structure of the different protein.
Structure of
Proteins
Proteins form different structures of cells: cell membrane and different organelles.
Enzymes are proteins that speed up chemical reactions.
Functions of
Proteins

6. Plays an important role in the production of proteins.
Organic Compounds
Very large organic molecules made of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
Contain the instructions that cells need to carry out all the functions of life.
Nucleic Acids
Genetic material that carries information about an organism and is passed from parent to offspring.
DNA
Plays an important role in the production of proteins.
RNA

7. Section 3-1 Assessment a. What is an element?
b. How is a compound different from an element?
c. A molecule of ammonia consists of one atom of nitrogen and three atoms of hydrogen. Is ammonia an element or a compound? Explain.
2. a. What three important functions does water perform in cells?
b. Suppose a cell is seriously deprived of water. How might this lack of water affect the cell’s enzymes? Explain.
a. What are four types of organic molecules found in living things?
b. Which of the four types of organic molecules contain the element nitrogen?
c. An organic compound contains only the elements carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Could this compound be a carbohydrate? Could it be a protein? Explain.