Chemistry of Life

1. Chemistry of Life All organisms consist of inorganic and organic compounds. • Inorganic Compounds • Lack Carbon and Hydrogen combination • Examples are Water = H2O • Salts = NaCl • Acids and Bases Organic Compound Categories • Organic Compounds • Contain both Hydrogen and Carbon • 4 major categories of organic compounds • Carbohydrates • Lipids (fats) • Proteins • Nucleic Acids Mrs. Degl

2. Carbohydrates • Main source of energy for all cell activities • Made up of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen • Usually there are two Hydrogen for every one Carbon (always look for CH2) • Includes all starches and sugars • There are three types of Carbohydrates (Monosaccharide, Disaccharide, and Polysaccharide) • The basic unit (building blocks) of a carbohydrate is a Monosaccharide • A monosaccharide is also called a simple sugar • Glucose is an example of a Monosaccharide Carboxyl Group C6H12O6 Glucose Monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, and ribose) Mrs. Degl

3. Carbohydrates Disaccharide • Also known as a double sugar • Formed by the combination of two simple sugars (two monosaccharides) • The combination process is called dehydration synthesis • Dehydration Synthesis is a process where two compounds combine and water is removed from it. Water is a product of this. • Maltose and sucrose are examples of a disaccharides. + H2O Mrs. Degl

4. Polysaccharides Carbohydrates • Some monosaccharides chemically combine by dehydration synthesis and form a Polysaccharide. • Examples are starches, cellulose, and glycogen Links of glucose Mrs. Degl

5. Lipids • Source of stored energy in living things • Contain Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen • The ratio of hydrogen is much greater than 2:1 and is not constant from one to another • Lipids are a product of dehydration synthesis of 3 fatty acids and glycerol • Fats and oils are examples of lipids • Triglycerides are the common name for the fat or oil that forms because of the 3 fatty acids. + Mrs. Degl

6. Proteins R represents ANY group that can vary • Contain Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Nitrogen, and sometimes sulfur • Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein • Living Organisms are usually made of a group of 20 amino acids • Two amino acids combine by dehydration synthesis to form a dipeptide What is a Polypeptide? This is a dipeptide (two) You can draw an amino acid two ways Amino Acid + Amino Acid = Dipeptide + Water Mrs. Degl

7. Nucleic Acids A nucleic acid is composed of nucleotide chains that convey genetic information. The most common nucleic acids are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). Nucleic acids are found in all living cells and viruses. We will cover this in the Genetics topic!! Mrs. Degl

8. Summary Mrs. Degl