Download Unit 1 Life Processes and Biochemistry

UNIT 1
BIOCHEMISTRY
UA
What is Biology?


Bio = life
ology = the science of
Biology = the science of life!
What is “life” made of?

All living things need 6
essential elements:
 CHNOPS
Carbon
Hydrogen
Nitrogen
Oxygen
Phosphorous
Sulfur
Life is organic

All life is organic
 (contains BOTH Carbon and Hydrogen)
NaCl
Biotic vs. abiotic

Abiotic:
non-living





Soil
Rocks
Sunlight
Water
Biotic:
living





Animals
Plants
Bacteria
Fungi
Protists
Biological molecules (macromolecules)
Carbohydrate
Lipid
Protein
Nucleic acid
Macromolecule structure


All macromolecules are BIG!
Made of small pieces or subunits called monomers.
monomer

Many put together = polymer.
monomer
monomer
monomer
monomer
Carbohydrates – sugars!


Composed of: CHO in a 1:2:1 ratio
Monomer: monosaccharide (mono means one)
2
= disaccharide
 3 or more = polysaccharide



Function: Immediate energy, cell structure
Examples: glucose, sucrose, glycogen, starch, cellulose.
How to identify: Looks like a ring
Carbohydrates – sugars!
disaccharide
monosaccharide
polysaccharide
cellulose fibers in plant cell wall
H bond
20
Lipids – fats!





Composed of: CHO
Monomer: glycerol and three fatty acids
Function: Long term energy storage
Examples: fats, oils, waxes, steroids
How to identify: long chains of carbon and hydrogen (can
have rings too).
H3C
CH3
CH3
HO
Cholesterol (a steroid)
CH3
CH3
Lipids – fats!

Saturated fats: Come from animals.
 No
double bonds between carbons.
 Difficult to break down.

Unsaturated fats: Come from plants.
 Double
bonds between carbons.
 Easier to break down.
 Trans fatty acids have been
artificially hydrogenated to make
them more solid.
Phospholipids
R
polar head
O
phosphate
group
O–
P
O
Phospholipids make
up the cell
membrane.
Polar (charged) head
likes water
(hydrophilic).
H
HCH
HC
CH
O
C
nonpolar tails
O
O
C
O
HCH
HCH
HCH
HCH
HCH
HCH
HCH
HCH
HCH
HCH
HCH
HCH
HCH
HCH
HCH
HCH
HCH
HC
HCH
Non-polar
(uncharged) tail hates
water (hydrophobic)
glycerol
HCH
HCH
HCH
HCH
HCH
HCH
H
fatty acids
HC
inside of cell
HCH
HCH
HCH
HCH
HCH
HCH
HCH
HCH
H
Phospholipid structure
outside of cell
Plasma membrane of a cell
Nucleic Acids

Composed of: CHONP

Monomer: nucleotide



Function: store and pass genetic information
Examples: DNA and RNA
How to identify:
A nucleotide has 3 parts!
Proteins


Composed of: CHON
Monomer: amino acid
 R-group
makes them unique
Function: make cell parts
and carry out chemical reactions
 Examples: enzymes, hemoglobin, melanin, keratin, insulin
 How to identify: each amino acid has a N!

Proteins

Proteins are chains of amino acids that fold up into
a specific shape.
 Shape
Amino acids
determines function!
Enzymes (special proteins)

Enzymes make reactions go faster!
 Catalyst
 Lower
– substance that speeds up a reaction.
activation energy – energy required to cause a reaction.
Enzymes (special proteins)

Enzymes can synthesize or breakdown molecules.
 Important
terms:
substrate, product, enzyme-substrate complex, active site
products
active
site
enzyme
substrate
Enzyme-substrate complex
enzyme
Enzymes (special proteins)

Example: Catalase in liver.
 Catalase
breaks down harmful hydrogen
peroxide into water and oxygen!
H2O and O2
active
site
Catalase
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)
Enzyme-substrate complex
Catalase
Enzymes (special proteins)

Characteristics of enzymes:
 Specific
substrate
 Specific
temperature
 If
they are heated too much they unfold = denature!
 Specific
pH
 Specific
shape
 Reusable
pH

Water can separate to make ions.
hydrochloric acid (HCI) 0
H 2O  H  OH
Water
Hydrogen ion

lemon juice 2
Coca-Cola, beer, vinegar 3
[H+]
Hydroxide ion
Acid

Increasing [H+]
stomach acid 1
tomatoes 4
black coffee
normal rainwater
urine
saliva
pure water, tears
human blood
seawater
5
6
7
neutral pH
[H+] =
[OH–]
8
baking soda, stomach antacids 9
Acid
oven cleaner 13
sodium hydroxide (NaOH) 14
Buffer: Keeps pH stable (we have a buffer in our blood).
Base
Base
bicarbonate of soda 12
[OH–]
Increasing [OH–]
Great Salt Lake 10
milk of magnesia
household ammonia 11