Download The Chemistry of Life: *Inorganic compounds– compounds that lack

The Chemistry of Life:
*Inorganic compounds– compounds that lack the element carbon. These are essential compounds to life
and include things such as water, and trace elements like sodium, magnesium, iron, calcium, etc.
*Organic Compounds – compounds containing the element carbon. There are four major classes of
organic compounds listed below. These compounds are the cornerstone of all living things on this planet.
1. Carbohydrates – made up of repeating units called monosaccharides (sugar groups). The primary
function of carbohydrates is to store and release energy. Carbohydrates are like the fuel that makes an
engine run. Examples include, starch, glucose, cellulose and chitin. Health Note: Most of your
calories should come from carbohydrates, then proteins, then lipids (or fats).
2. Lipids – made up of repeating units called fatty acids. The primary functions of lipids include the
formation of cell membranes, insulation to retain body heat and, as a fuel source. It is of interest to
note that fats have more potential energy than carbohydrates but are much more difficult to break
down. Fats are classified as being saturated or unsaturated. Saturated fats include butter, cheese,
chocolate, and red meat. Unsaturated fats include avocados, olives, peanuts and fish.
Health Note: In the United States, the leading cause of death is cardiovascular disease. This is not
surprising when you look at the amounts of saturated fats being consumed. In Europe and Asia where
diets have more unsaturated fats in them, heart disease is hardly an issue. So… yes we need fat in our
diet, just the right kinds and the right amounts.
3. Proteins – made up of repeating units called amino acids, of which there are 20.
Amino acids are like letters in the alphabet. Just as when you put letters together to make a word,
amino acids (when put together in a certain sequence) make a specific protein. Proteins are the
structural units that hold your body together and are also the workhorses that make sure everything
gets done properly. There are tens of thousands of different proteins that do tens of thousands of
functions. Health Note: The sequence of amino acids is crucial to make a functioning protein and
there is little room for error. For example, a single mistake in a chain of 574 amino acids that make a
protein called hemoglobin, results in misshapen blood cells (a condition called sickle cell anemia).
These cells can not do the job they are supposed to do.
4. Nucleic Acids - made up of repeating units called nucleotides. The sequence of nucleotides
determines how amino acids are assembled together (and we already know how important that is
from the explanation above!). Deoxyribonucleic Acid or (DNA) as you probably know is a material
that stores within it a code of sorts that makes turtles…turtles, people…people and yeast cells….yeast
cells. Health Note: DNA is the essence of all living things and is the only one of the four classes of
organic compounds that is not linked with energy or body structure. You need to replenish fresh
supplies of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins in your diet to stay alive but DNA can not be “eaten”.
You are born with it and may pass it on to another generation. In the meantime, just as problems can
arise if you are ignorant of how to balance your diet, problems can arise with your genetic code; some
we are born with, others we can avoid to some degree with a knowledge of how living systems work.
Soooo….if your’re asking yourself “why do I need to know all this chemistry in a “biology” class?”,
hopefully now you understand.