Basics of Organic Life Biomolecules
Dec 19, 2015
Elements What are they? Common Elements in Biology
N, C, O, H 96% of human body
Other 4% = trace elementsEX: S, K, Cl, Na, Ca, Mg, P, I, Fe, F
How important are trace elements?
Sulfur
Sodium
Carbohydrates C, H, O Simple sugars (monomer)
Monosaccharides- glucose, fructose
Complex sugars (polymer) Dissacharides - Sucrose Polysaccharides– starch,
glycogen, cellulose Functions:
Provide energy
Monosaccharid + Monosaccharid = Disaccharid
Hydrolysis
Carbohydrates and Diet
Pasta, bread, potatoes, cereal, rice, fruits, Complex carbs are broken into simple carbs Simple carbs are absorbed through the intestines
into the bloodstream The blood delivers the glucose to the body cells
to make ATP (energy) Extra sugars taken to liver and stored as glycogen Excess sugars stored as fat
Lipids
C, H, and a small amount of O Fatty Acids (monomer) Triglyceride (polymer)
Fats, oils, waxes, steroids Insoluble in water Functions:
Composes the cell membrane Shock absorption and
protection Insulation
Lipids and Diet Fats are essential nutrient Fats create the cell membrane Used to synthesize hormones insulate our nerve cells keeps us warm Meats, nuts, dairy products, cooking oils Broken into fatty acids and glycerol and absorbed
by small intestines Trans fats = preservative Saturated = bad Unsaturated = useful
Proteins C, H, O, N, and sometimes S Made up of amino acids
(monomer) 20 total amino acids
Polypeptide (polymer) Peptide bond
Functions: Muscle contraction Structural components –
hair, nails, skin Transports O2 in the blood Provides immunity Enzymes
Proteins and Diet Meats, beans, whole
grains, eggs, dairy Proteins broken down into
amino acids by digestion Absorbed by intestines,
sent through blood to liver and cells
Cells store amino acids until they need to make proteins Essential amino acids (8) Non-essential amino acids
(12)
Enzymes Catalyze a reaction (usually speeds it up) Protein structures Usually end is ‘ase’ Affected by temperature and pH Active sites Lock and key
Enzymes Enzymes are protein catalyst
Catalyst- speed up the rate of a chemical reaction
Activation energy w/o enzyme
Activation energy with enzyme
Calories and Metabolism
Calorie – energy content of food 2000 calories a day – AVERAGE, depends on a
persons metabolism Metabolism – the rate at which energy is burned
or how fast your body processes Metabolism controlled by thyroid gland Factors affecting metabolism
Age Gender Level of activity Weight
- DNA and RNA- Building blocks are nucleotides- Nucleotides – phosphate,
sugar, nitrogen base- Store hereditary information
that is translated into proteins
- ATP- Energy molecule of cell
Nucleic Acids
WaterStructure
2 hydrogen covalently bonded to 1 oxygen Polar
Uneven charge Results in hydrogen bonding
Solution
Water is the universal solvent! Ionic compounds
disassociate in waterSolvent
Does the “dissolving”Solute
Gets “dissolved”
Surface tension
Cohesion - Attraction between particles of the same substance
Adhesion - Attraction between two different substances – capillary action