Biochemistry: The Chemistry of Life

1. Biochemistry:The Chemistry of Life Name_____________

2. Elements of Life • 96% of a typical living organism is made of: • carbon (C) • oxygen (O) • hydrogen (H) • nitrogen (N)

3. One carbon atom can form covalent bonds with 4 other atoms in order to become stable. Carbon can form bonds with other carbon atoms, or with atoms of other elements. The bonds can be single bonds (sharing 1 pair of electrons), double bonds (sharing 2 pairs of electrons), or even triple bonds (sharing 3 pairs of electrons) . Carbon – a crucial element

4. Molecules of Life • Put C, H, O, N (and other elements) together in different ways to build living organisms • Organic substances • carbohydrates • proteins • lipids • nucleic acids • DNA, RNA • Inorganic Substances • H2O • CO2

5. “You are what you eat…?”

6. Organic vs. Inorganic • ORGANIC Usually defined as compounds which contain (at minimum) CARBON and HYDROGEN. Producedonly by living things (biotic). Range from simple to very complex. INORGANIC Usually defined as compounds that do not contain carbon with hydrogen. They often can be formed in the non-living (abiotic) environment, but can also be made by/found in living things.

8. Why do we eat? • We eat to take in more of these chemicals • Food for building materials • to make more of us (cells) • for growth • for repair • Food to provide energy • calories • to make ATP ATP

9. What do we need to eat? • Foods to give you more building blocks & more energy • for building & running bodies • carbohydrates • proteins • fats • nucleic acids • vitamins • minerals, salts • water

10. Four main categories of organic molecules needed for living things: • CARBOHYDRATES • LIPDS • PROTEINS • NUCLEIC ACIDS

11. DNA – determines traits RNA – helper to DNA for making proteins nucleic acids

12. Living Things Need Materials and Energy • You need to eat a well balanced diet! • You need carbs, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids in order to carry out your life functions, such as: • Build, repair cells • Grow, develop • Use energy • Maintain homeostasis

13. Calories • A calorie is a measure of the energy in food. • Make your calories count! “Empty” calories are those that provide no or little vitamins, minerals and nutrients other than calories. • Males in your age group need about 3000 calories/day. Females in your age group need about 2500 calories/day • If you take in more calories than your body uses, you will gain weight. If you ‘burn’ more calories than your body uses, you will lose weight.

14. Don’t forget water • Water • 65% of your body is H2O • water is inorganic • doesn’t contain carbon

15. How do we make these molecules? We build them!

16. Building large molecules of life • Chain together smaller molecules • building block molecules = monomers • Big molecules built from little molecules • polymers

17. Building large organic molecules • Small molecules = building blocks • Bond them together =polymers

18. amino acid amino acid amino acid amino acid amino acid amino acid – – – – – Building important polymers Carbohydrates = built from sugars sugar – sugar – sugar – sugar – sugar – sugar Proteins = built from amino acids Nucleic acids (DNA) = built from nucleotides nucleotide – nucleotide – nucleotide – nucleotide

19. How to build large molecules • Synthesis (dehydration-synthesis)-take water out to make something larger • building bigger molecules from smaller molecules • building cells & bodies • repair • growth • reproduction + ATP

20. How to take large molecules apart • Digestion- • taking big molecules apart (hydrolysis) adding water to break molecules apart • getting raw materials • for synthesis & growth • releasing energy (building ATP) • for synthesis, growth & everyday functions + ATP

21. Example of digestion ATP • Starch is digested to glucose ATP ATP ATP ATP ATP starch glucose ATP

22. Example of synthesis amino acids = building block protein = polymer amino acids protein • Proteins are synthesized by bonding amino acids

23. POLYMER a large molecule made of many smaller building-block type molecules (monomers) bonded together covalently. When polymers are formed, water is produced as a byproduct. When polymers are broken down, water is used. Many organic compounds are polymers composed of monomers. MONOMER these are the small building-block type molecules that form polymers. Polymers vs Monomers

24. Polymer vs. Monomer In your own words, summarize the difference between a POLYMER and a MONOMER.

25. How are polymers formed? • Dehydration synthesis: removing water from two monomers to form a polymer. • Hydrolysis: adding water to a polymer to break it into its monomers.

26. Old Food Pyramid

27. New Food Pyramid