Chemicals of life

• The bodies of all living things are made of many different kinds of chemicals
• Most of our bodies are made up of water
• Substances our cells are made of

  • Water
  • Carbohydrates
  • Proteins
  • Fats
• Each of these substances is vital for life
• Chemical reactions called metabolism are going on all the time inside living organisms
• Solvent


  A substance that can dissolve other substances
• Water is an important solvent for living organisms
• If cells dry out, the chemical reactions stop and the organism dies
• Water is needed to transport substances like glucose around the body
• Water is needed to dissolve enzymes and nutrients in the digestive system so digestion can take place
• Water is needed to help the body get rid of waste products
• Carbohydrates


  Molecules containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms, with about twice as many hydrogen atoms as carbon or oxygen
• Monosaccharides


  The simplest kind of sugar in carbohydrates, such as glucose
• A glucose molecule has six carbon atoms joined in a ring, with hydrogen and oxygen atoms pointing out from and into the ring
• Molecular formula


  A formula that shows the number and type of atoms in a molecule
• Simple sugar molecules are very small and soluble in water
• Disaccharides


  Complex sugars formed when two simple sugar molecules join together
• Disaccharides


  • Sucrose (Glucose and fructose)
  • Maltose (2x Glucose)
• Atom


  Basic unit of matter and an element (Smallest)
• Element


  Pure substance that cannot be broken down into another substance.
• Molecule


  A group of two or more atoms held by chemical bonds
• Compound


  2 or more different elements / molecules
• Water can dissolve anything, therefore it is called as Universal Solvent
• carbohydrates are the main source of energy
• To combine and form new disaccharides, you lose one H2O molecule, called condensation.
• To revert back to monosaccharide, gain one H2O molecule, called hydrolysis.
• Polysaccharides


  Complex sugars made of chains of sugar molecule. Ex. Cellulose, starch, glycogen.
• Monosaccharides and Disaccharides all dissolve in water and is sweet, but Polysaccharides are the opposite. (Veggies are not sweet)
• Monomer 


  One chain
• Polymers


  more than 1 chain
• Energy is released by cellular respiration.
• Monomer, which is fatty acid and also called palmitic acid, C16H32O2


  • Saturated
  • linear (not rings)
  • solids at room temperature
  • animal fats
• Monounsaturated, which is Oleic acid and also called Omega-9, C18H34O2.

  • One double bond
  • liquid at room temperature
  • comes from plant oils
• Polyunsaturate, called Linoleic acid, C18H32O2

  • 2 double bonds
  • also liquid at room temperature
• Triglyceride=A mixture of one glycerol and 3 fatty acids

  Our body can‘t store the 3 fatty acids so they attach to glycerol.
• Plants store carbohydrates as starch.
• It is quick and easy to change glucose into starch, reversable.
• Like polysaccharides, protein molecules are made of long chains of smaller molecules joined end to end, called amino acids.
• Some proteins are soluble in water, like haemoglobin, the red pigment in blood. Others are insoluble, like keratin, found in hair and fingernails.
• Many of the proteins in the food you eat are used for making new cells. New cells are needed for growing and for repairing damaged parts of the body. (Cytoplasm and cell membranes contain a lot of protein)