Download Chemistry on living things

Chemistry of living things
1. Living things are made up of elements and compounds
A. Elements are pure substances that cannot be broken down into any
simple substances by ordinary means
B. Compounds are made up of two or more elements that are chemically
combined
2. There are two main categories of compounds
A. Inorganic compounds- compounds that may or may not contain the
element carbon.
I. Most inorganic compounds do not contain carbon
II. However carbon dioxide is an exception
III. Examples of inorganic compounds includes table salt, ammonia,
rust and water
B. Organic compounds- most compounds in living things contain the
element carbon combined with oxygen and hydrogen
I. There are over three million different organic compounds in living
things
II. Organic compounds that are basic to life include carbohydrates,
fats and oils, proteins enzymes and acids
3. Carbohydrates
A. The main sources of energy for living things
B. Made of elements C, H, and O
C. Include sugars and starches
4. Fats and oils
A. They are energy rich compounds made from C, H and O
B. They are scientifically called lipids
5. Proteins
A. Organic compounds made from C, H, and O
B. They also contain nitrogen, and sometimes sulfur and phosphorus
C. The buildings blocks of proteins are called amino acids.
I. There are about 20 different amino acids
II. These amino acids combine in many different ways to produce
thousands of proteins
D. Proteins are necessary for growth and repair of body structure
6. Enzymes
A. A special type of protein that regulates chemical activities in the body
B. Enzymes act as catalysts by initializing, speeding up, or slowing down
chemical reactions in the body.
H. Nucleic Acids
I. The blueprints of life are nucleic acids
II. They are very large compounds that store information that helps
the body make proteins
III. They control the way that amino acids are put together so that the
correct protein is formed
IV. One nucleic acid is DNA
a. Deoxyribonucleic acid stores the information needed to
build a protein
b. DNA also carries messages about an organism that are
passed from parent to offspring.
V. Another nucleic acid is RNA
a. Ribonucleic acid reads the message carried by DNA and
guides the protein making process
b. Together these two nucleic acids contain the information
and carry out the steps that make each organism unique