What do organic compounds do for our bodies?

1. What do organic compounds do for our bodies?

2. Proteins • Serve as basis for: • Structures • Transport substances • Regulate processes • Speed up chemical reactions • Control growth

3. Proteins = source of building blocks • Can function as energy source but only if carbs and lipids are not available • Digestion breaks the bonds that hold amino acids together, allowing individual amino acids to be absorbed • Once inside cells, used as raw materials to make proteins

4. Proteins • 20 amino acids that bond in various ways to make proteins • 12 = made by the body • 8 = must be consumed from foods (nuts, beans, meat)

5. Functions of Proteins • Because of their structures, proteins serve different functions • Structural- connective tissue and keratin • Transport- hemoglobin transports oxygen from lungs to other parts of body • Hormone- coordinate body activities such as insulin • Contractile- help control movement • Enzymatic- accelerate speed of chemical reactions

6. Carbohydrates • Energy source for all organisms and as a structural molecule in many organisms • Primary fuel source for cellular respiration • Used to store energy for short periods of time • C, H, O serve as raw materials of other small organic molecules • Some carbs are used as structural material in plants (cellulose)

7. Carbohydrates • Caloric value depends on number of carbon-hydrogen bonds

8. Lipids • Fats • Important for energy when carbs are scarce • More carbon hydrogen bonds than carbohydrates

9. Lipids • Functions • Long-term energy storage • Cushioning of vital organs • Insulation for the body • Serve as major component of cell membranes • One of the raw materials necessary for vitamin and hormone production