micro 2

• A microorganism is a "bag" of chemicals that interact with each other; even the bag itself is composed of chemicals
• Everything a microorganism is and does is related to chemistry
• Organic chemistry is the study of compounds that contain carbon
• Inorganic chemistry involves all other chemical reactions
• Biochemistry is the chemistry of living cells—the chemistry of life
• Organic compounds contain carbon
• Organic chemistry studies organic compounds, which are not necessarily related to living organisms
• Organic chemistry involves fossil fuels, dyes, drugs, paper, ink, paints, plastics, gasoline, rubber tires, food, and clothing
• Carbon atoms have a valence of 4, meaning they can bond to four other atoms
• Carbon atoms can bond to each other in three ways: single bond, double bond, and triple bond
• A covalent bond is one in which a pair of electrons is shared
• When atoms of other elements attach to available carbon bonds, compounds are formed
• A series of carbon atoms bonded together is referred to as a chain
• If only hydrogen atoms are bonded to the available carbon bonds, hydrocarbons are formed
• When carbon atoms link to close a chain, they form rings or cyclic compounds
• Benzene is a cyclic compound with six carbons and six hydrogens
• Biochemistry is the study of biology at the molecular level; it is the chemistry of living organisms
• Biochemistry involves biomolecules present within living organisms, usually large molecules called macromolecules
• Macromolecules include carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids
• Humans obtain nutrients from the foods they eat, which are digested and absorbed for use in the body
• Microorganisms also absorb essential nutrients into the cell for metabolic reactions
• Carbohydrates are biomolecules composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a 1:2:1 ratio
• Examples of carbohydrates include glucose, fructose, sucrose, lactose, maltose, starch, cellulose, and glycogen
• Categories of carbohydrates include monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides
• Monosaccharides are the smallest and simplest carbohydrates, such as glucose
• Disaccharides are double-ringed sugars resulting from the combination of two monosaccharides
• Peptidoglycan is found in the cell walls of all members of the Domain Bacteria
• Polysaccharides are carbohydrates composed of many monosaccharides, serving as energy stores and structural support
• Some bacteria produce polysaccharide capsules for protection
• Plant and algal cells have cellulose cell walls for support
• Chitin is found in the cell walls of fungi, providing structural support
• Lipids are insoluble in water but essential constituents of living cells
• Lipids can be classified into waxes, fats and oils, phospholipids, glycolipids, steroids, prostaglandins, and leukotrienes
• Fatty acids are the building blocks of lipids, with saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated types
• Waxes consist of a saturated fatty acid and a long-chain alcohol, providing protection in various organisms
• Fats and oils are composed of glycerol and three fatty acids, common in animal and plant sources
• Phospholipids contain glycerol, fatty acids, a phosphate group, and an alcohol, with types like glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids
• Gram-negative bacterial cell walls contain lipoproteins and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
• Gram-positive organisms do not contain LPS in their cell walls
• Sphingolipids are phospholipids containing sphingosine rather than glycerol