Download Cells and Heredity - Chapter 1 section 3

Chemical Compounds in Cells
Element
• A substance that cannot be broken down
into simpler substances.
• The smallest unit of an element is
called…
• An ATOM
Compound
• When two or more elements combine
chemically, they form a compound.
• The smallest unit of any compound is
called…..
• A Molecule
Examples of compounds
• An example of a
compound is water
which is made up of
the elements:
– Hydrogen (2)
– Oxygen (1)
Organic Compounds
• Organic compounds:
• Contain the element Carbon
• Four groups of organic compounds found in all
cells:
•
•
•
•
Carbohydrates
Lipids
Proteins
Nucleic Acids
Inorganic Compounds
• Inorganic compounds:
• DO NOT contain the element Carbon.
• Three important inorganic compounds for
living organisms:
• Water
• Sodium Chloride (salt)
• Carbon Dioxide
Inorganic Compounds
• Which organic compound is
the exception to the rule?
Why?
– Carbon dioxide is an
inorganic compound even
though it contains carbon.
CARBOHYDRATES
• What is the definition of a
carbohydrate?
– Energy rich organic
compound made up of the
elements carbon, hydrogen,
and oxygen.
CARBOHYDRATES
• What are some examples of
carbohydrates?
– Sugars and Starches.
– Found in almost all foods
from fruits and veggies, to
breads and pasta.
CARBOHYDRATES
• When is sugar produced in the pant cell?
– During the food making process called
photosynthesis.
• In what organelle does photosynthesis take
place?
– The chloroplast
• What is starch?
– Starches are many sugars strung together.
– Called complex carbohydrates
– When we eat carbs out bodies break them
down into glucose (sugar).
CARBOHYDRATES
• What do plant cells use starch for?
– To store excess energy.
• What is the starch that makes up plant cell
walls called?
– Cellulose
• Where else in the cell will you find
carbohydrates?
– In the membrane
Sugar vs. Starch
Starch
Sugar
Lipids
• What is the definition of a lipid?
– Energy rich compounds made of carbon,
hydrogen, and oxygen.
• What are some examples of lipids?
– Fats, oils and waxes
• What does the cell use lipids for?
– To store energy for later use.
Lipids
• How are lipids different from carbohydrates in
terms of stored energy?
– They store even more energy.
• What cell part is composed of mostly lipids?
– The cell membrane
Protein - Structure
• What is the definition of a protein?
– Large organic molecules made of carbon,
hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sometimes
sulfur.
• What are the small molecules that make up a
protein?
– Amino acids
• How many of these are there?
– 20
Protein - Structure
• How do different proteins form?
– The twenty amino acids can string together in
different ways to form thousands of proteins.
Protein - Function
• Where do we find
proteins in the cell?
– Most of the cells
organelles are made
of proteins.
– Proteins are an
important part of the
cell membrane.
Protein - Function
• What is an enzyme?
– A type of protein that speeds up chemical
reactions in living cells.
• What would happen if we did not have
enzymes in our cells?
– Many of the essential chemical reactions in our
cells would take too long or not occur at all.
• Give an example of an enzyme in action
– Enzymes in saliva speed up digestion.
Nucleic Acids
• What is the definition of a nucleic acid?
– Very long organic molecules made of carbon,
oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
• What are the two types of nucleic acids?
– RNA
– DNA.
Nucleic Acids
• What is the function of DNA?
– Genetic material that carries information about an
organism, it is passed on from parent to offspring.
• Where is DNA found?
– In the chromatin located in the nucleus.
• What is the function of RNA
– Helps in the production of proteins
• Where is RNA found?
– In the cytoplasm and in the nucleus.
Nucleic Acids
Water
• How much of your body is made up of water?
– Two thirds
• Why is water essential for our cells to function
properly?
– Most chemical reactions essential to our cells
would not take place without water.