Download Carbon Macromolecules

Carbon
Macromolecules
Ms. Poynter
Biology
Chemistry of Carbon
• There are 2 reasons that there is a whole branch of chemistry set
aside just to study carbon compounds. They are:
1. Carbon atoms have FOUR valence electrons, allowing them to
form strong covalent bonds with many other elements.
Carbon can bond with many elements, including hydrogen,
oxygen, phosphorous, sulfur and nitrogen to form the molecules
of life.
Chemistry of Carbon
• There are 2 reasons that there is a whole branch of chemistry set
aside just to study carbon compounds. They are:
2. One carbon atom can bond to another carbon atom, which gives
carbon the ability to form chains that are almost unlimited in
length.
Carbon has the ability to form millions of different large and
complex structures.
Macromolecules
• Macromolecules means giant molecules.
• Macromolecules are made from thousands or even hundreds of
thousands of smaller molecules.
• Most macromolecules are formed by a process known as
polymerization (many monomers), in which large compounds are
built by joining smaller ones together. (think necklace or lego
palace!
• The smaller units, or monomers, join together to form polymers.
• Biochemists sort macromolecules found in living things into
groups based on their chemical composition.
Monomers & Polymers
• Think of monomers as different colored beads on a
necklace, and the polymers as the necklace itself.
Monomers
Polymers
Monomers & Polymers
• OR think of monomers as Legos!
Atoms
Monomers
Polymers
Macromolecules
The four categories of macromolecules we discussed in
class are:
• Carbohydrates
• Proteins
• Lipids
• Nucleic Acids
Carbohydrates
• Composed of Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H),
and Oxygen (O).
• Include Monosaccharides (Simple Sugars)
and Polysaccharides (Complex Sugars)
• Glucose, sucrose, fructose, and cellulose.
• Source of short term energy storage.
• Examples include: Potatoes (complex),
candy (simple), rice, pasta, fruit sugars,
milk sugar, etc.
Candy and sugar makes kids
hyper, but the short term
energy source leads to hard
“crash”
Carbohydrate Monomers & Polymers
• If we used the necklace example for carbohydrates,
it might look like this:
C, H, O
Atoms
Monosaccharides
Polysaccharides
simple sugars
Complex sugars and starches
Proteins
• Composed of C, H, O, and Nitrogen (N)
• Assembled from Amino Acids
• Create enzymes which make chemical reactions happen in living
things
• Make cell structures and parts
• Transport substances into and out of cells
• Help fight disease
• Examples include: Hair and Enzymes
Protien Monomers & Polymers
• If we used the necklace example for proteins, it
might look like this:
Amino Acids
Type of Protein
Lipids
Bears eat a lot of food right before hibernation
to “fatten up” so they have an energy storage
during winter.
• Composed of C, H, & O
• Has a glycerol and a fatty acid
• NOT soluble in water
• Two types: Saturated and Unsaturated
• Source of long term energy storage.
• Make up the cell membrane
• Examples include: fats, oils, waxes, and steroids.
Unsaturated Lipids
• Unsaturated fats come primarily from plant foods like nuts and seeds
• Are liquid at room temperature. Ex. include vegetable oils such as olive,
peanut, safflower, sunflower, soybean and corn.
• Do not raise blood cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein levels.
Saturated Lipids
• Saturated fats Most come from animal sources such as animal meat and
products, however several come from plant sources, like coconut, palm and
palm kernel oils.
• Are normally solid at room temperature.
• Saturated fats raise levels of both total blood cholesterol and low-density
lipoprotein, or “bad” cholesterol.
• Elevated low-density lipoprotein is associated with an increased risk for
developing cardiovascular disease.
Lipid Monomers & Polymers
• If we used the necklace example for proteins, it
might look like this:
Glycerol &
Fatty acids
Type of lipid
Nucleic Acids
• Composed of H, O, N, C, & P
• Made up of a Nitrogen base, a sugar, an a phosphate group
• Stores genetic information
• Examples include: RNA, DNA, and ATP
Nucleic Acids
• DNA