Download Inorganic vs. Organic Compounds Carbon Compounds Polymerize

10/23/2014
Inorganic vs. Organic
Compounds
C, H, N, and O make up almost all
chemical compounds in living organisms.
 Organic compounds - contain carbon.

Carbon Compounds Polymerize
Polymerization - process by which large
compounds are constructed by joining
together smaller compounds (monomers).

– Carbon can form long carbon chains by
bonding to other carbon atoms.
– Monomers are joined by chemical bonds to form
polymers.
– Very large polymers are called macromolecules.
 Unique because they are very strong/stable!

Inorganic compounds - do not contain
carbon.
– Exception: CO2
Building macromolecules
Dehydration synthesis or condensation
reactions - reactions that joins two
monomers into a polymer and involves the
loss of water.
 Hydrolysis - reaction that breaks a
polymer into monomers by using a water
molecule.

Carbon
Carbon is a key component of biological
macromolecules for two reasons:
 1. Carbon atoms have 4 valence electrons.

– Allows them to form strong covalent bonds
with many other elements.

2. Carbon atoms can bond to other carbon
atoms.
– Gives the ability to form chains, rings,
multiple bonds, and millions of different large,
complex structures.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates - Monosaccharides

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Carbohydrates - macromolecules that are
composed of the atoms carbon, hydrogen,
and oxygen in the proportion of 1:2:1.
– 1 carbon : 2 hydrogen : 1 oxygen.
– Examples: sugars and starches.
Monosaccharide – simple, single sugar
molecule.
– Examples: glucose (produced by green plants),
fructose (fruits), and galactose (milk).
– Sugars are important for living things because
they contain a great deal of energy.
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Carbohydrates - Disaccharides
Carbohydrates - reactions


Disaccharide – 2 sugar molecules bonded
together by a covalent bond.
– Hydrolysis - reaction that breaks a
disachharide into monosaccharides by using a
water molecules.
– Examples: lactose or sucrose.
Nucleic Acids
Carbohydrates - Polysaccharides

Polysaccharides – macromolecules formed from
linking many monosaccharides together.

– Ex. Starch – a polysaccharide plants use to store
energy; many glucose molecules bonded together.
– Ex. Glycogen - stored form of glucose from starch;
stored for energy in liver of animals.
– Ex. Cellulose – chains of glucose, structurally different
from starch, tough flexible molecule found in plants.
Lipids - organic compounds that are oily or
waxy.
– Common examples: fats, oils, and waxes.
– Lipids are made of C, H, and O (no ratio H to O).
– Lipids function in energy storage, form biological
membranes, and act as chemical messengers.
 Lipids have more energy than carbohydrates because lipids
have more hydrogens bonded to the carbon chain.

Nucleic acids - Polymers made of building
blocks (monomers) called nucleotides.
– Contain H, O, P, C, and N.
– Nucleic acids store and transmit hereditary
information.
– Example – DNA and RNA.
 DNA has a deoxyribose sugar, RNA has a ribose
sugar.
Lipids

Dehydration synthesis - reaction that joins
two monosaccharides into a disaccharide
and involves the loss of water.
Types of Lipids

Lipids are polymers made of monomers of
fatty acids and glycerol.
– Saturated Lipids:
 contain the maximum number of carbon to
hydrogen bonds.
 Example – animal fats.
 Also called “bad fats”.
Lipids have a water loving portion, and a water
hating portion.
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Types of Lipids
– Unsaturated Lipids:
 Contain carbon to carbon double bonds; less
hydrogen.
 Example – plant oils (corn oil, vegetable oil)
 Also called “good fats”.
Types of Lipids

Sterols - ringed structures that play roles
in building cells and carrying messages.
– Example – cholesterol; hormones.

Phospholipids - contain parts that dissolve
well in water and parts that do not.
– Spontaneously form bilayers to keep water
hating portions protected and water loving
portions in contact with water.
Proteins

Proteins - polymers made of building blocks
(monomers) called amino acids.
– Amino acids have an amino group, carboxyl group
and an R group.
 Differences in R groups make each of the 20 amino acids
different.
Peptides


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Peptides - short polymers of amino acids linked
by peptide bonds.
Peptide bonds are covalent bonds that join
together amino acids.
Once a polypeptide (long chain of amino acids)
is formed, it must be folded into a 3-D shape
before it is called a protein.
– The shape is important for recognition of the protein
by the cell and for the actions of the protein.
Proteins
Used to form skin, muscle, hair.
Proteins play a role in metabolism, help
fight disease, used to assist chemical
reactions (enzymes), and signaling other
cellular functions.
 Enzymes are special proteins.



Enzymes
Enzymes – proteins that act as biological
catalyst and speed up the rate of a
chemical reaction.
– Enzymes are not changed by the reaction (so
they can be re-used).
– Enzymes are very specific – they will only
speed up one chemical reaction.
– Enzymes speed up chemical reactions by
lowering the “start-up” energy of a reaction.
– The names of most enzymes will end in “ase”
such as ligase, amylase, polymerase.
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Enzymes
Enzymes

Enzymes will bind to the reactants of the
chemical reaction that it will catalyze.
– The reactants that enzymes bind to are called
substrates.
– The site in which the substrates are brought
to is called the active site.
– Substrates will fit into the active site like a
lock and key.
– Enzymes function in
regulating chemical
pathways, making
materials that cells
need, releasing
energy, and
transferring
information.
 If the substrates do not fit in the active site, it is
the wrong enzyme and it will not catalyze a
reaction!
Chemical Reactions

A
Energy in Chemical Reactions
Chemical reaction – a process that
changes one set of chemicals into another
set of chemicals; involves the breaking
and reforming of chemical bonds.

– Reactants - chemicals that undergo a change
(left side of equation).
– Products - chemicals that are the result of a
change (right side of equation).

+
B
--------->
C
+
– When bonds are broken, energy is released.
– All living organisms must have a source of
energy to carry out chemical reactions!
Endergonic (endothermic) reactions –
reactions that absorb energy.
– Need a source of energy to trigger the
reaction (don’t occur spontaneously).
– Reactions tend to feel cold.
Two types or reactions deal with the
energy stored in chemical bonds:
 Endergonic reactions
 Exergonic reactions
D
Endergonic Reactions

Energy is stored within chemical bonds.
Exergonic Reactions

Exergonic (exothermic) reactions –
reactions that release energy.
– Energy is released as heat, light, or gas.
– Can occur spontaneously.
– Often feel warm.
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