Chapter 2: Chemical Basis of Life
Biomolecules
• Biomolecule, also called biological molecule, any of
numerous substances that are produced by cells and
living organisms.
• Biomolecules have a wide range of sizes and structures
and perform a vast array of functions.
Starch
• The four major types of biomolecules are
• Long chains of simpler sugars joined together
carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids, and proteins.
• These big molecules are called macromolecules
4 Major types of Macromolecules
• Slower to break down in the body & provide energy for
a longer period of time than regular sugars.
Cellulose
Carbohydrates
• Unlike animal cells, plant cells have a cell wall made
Serve 2 main functions: of cellulose.
1. Source of chemical energy for cells in many living • The cell wall is a large part of vegetables such as
things. lettuce & celery. It also is what gives stems & wood
strength.
2. Part of the structural material of plants
• Made from chains of thousands of glucose molecules,
• made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a ratio of but the difference is in how they’re linked.
roughly one carbon atom (C) to one water molecule
(H2O). • Because of this small difference, your body cannot
• Carbohydrates can be represented by the digest cellulose the same way it can starches & sugars.
stoichiometric formula (CH2O)n , where n is the
number of carbons in the molecule. Therefore, the
ratio of carbon to hydrogen to oxygen is 1:2:1 in
carbohydrate molecules. The origin of the term
“carbohydrate” is based on its components: carbon
(“carbo”) and water (“hydrate”).
Types of Carbohydrates
Lipids
any of a diverse group of organic compounds including
fats, oils, hormones, and certain components of
membranes that are grouped together because they do gaps between molecules make their bonds easier to
not interact appreciably with water. break.
One type of lipid, the triglycerides, is sequestered as fat
in adipose cells, which serve as the energy storage depot
for organisms and also provide thermal insulation.
Some lipids such as steroid hormones serve as chemical
messengers between cells, tissues, and organs, and
Cholesterol
others communicate signals between biochemical
systems within a single cell. • Cholesterol is another lipid in cell membranes
The membranes of cells and organelles (structures within • It is also needed to make hormones like adrenaline
cells) are microscopically thin structures formed from
two layers of phospholipid molecules. • Your body makes the cholesterol that it needs, but it is
also found in many foods that come from animals, like
meat and eggs.
• Although you need cholesterol, eating too much of it
can block arteries and lead to heart disease.
Proteins
• Proteins are big molecules called macromolecules
• Made of smaller molecules called amino acids
Saturated and Unsaturated Fat • Made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, &
some other elements
• Saturated fats only single bonds in the carbon chain
Most animal fats “bad” fats Diets high in saturated fat • There are at least 100,000 proteins in your body
are linked to heart disease
• Each has a different structure that gives it a specific
• Unsaturated fats one or more double bonds in the job.
carbon chain Most oils from plants “good” fats
• There are 4 types of structure, including coils & curls.
Why are unsaturated fats easier to break down?
Unsaturated fats, on the other hand, have double bonds Protein structure
that saturated fats don't have. This gives them a kinkier
shape, so they don't pack together nearly as well. The
• Amino Acids Are Linked by Peptide Bonds to Form Nucleic Acid
Polypeptide Chains.
• Includes:
• Primary structure is the amino acid sequence
• DNA
• Secondary structure is local interactions between
• RNA
stretches of a polypeptide chain and includes α-helix and
β-pleated sheet structures. • Contain information that cells use to make proteins
Made of:
• Carbon
• Hydrogen
• Oxygen
• Nitrogen
DNA Structure
• Twisted ladder or double helix. The sides of the ladder
are made of:
• Tertiary structure is the overall the three dimension • sugar molecules called deoxyribose
folding driven largely by interactions between R groups • phosphate group
• The “rungs” of the ladder are made of:
• Nitrogen bases
Roles of Proteins
• They are the major structural molecules in living things
for growth and repair : muscles, ligaments, tendons,
bones, hair, skin, nails
Nitrogen Bases
• They make up antibodies in the immune system
Occur in matched sets:
• They make up enzymes for helping chemical reactions
• They makeup non-steroid hormones which • Adenine (A) to Cytosine (C)
• THINK: Proteins= membranes, enzymes, antibodies, • Thymine (T) to Guanine (G)
non-steroid hormones, structural molecules, “MEANS” The order of the bases in DNA is the way in which DNA
stores instructions for making proteins.
• Each of the 20 amino acids is represented by a series of
3 DNA bases.
• Nucleic acids are biomolecules that contain the
blueprints for making proteins. Nucleic acids also
transmit genetic info to the next generation.
• Includes: • DNA • RNA