biochem of cells

• Biochemistry of Cells
• Americans consume an average of 140 pounds of sugar per person per year
• Cellulose, found in plant cell walls, is the most abundant organic compound on Earth
• A typical cell in your body has about 2 meters of DNA
• A typical cow produces over 200 pounds of methane gas each year
• About 60-90 percent of an organism is water
• Water is used in most reactions in the body
• Water is called the universal solvent
• Water Properties


  • Polarity
  • Cohesiveness
  • Adhesiveness
  • Surface Tension
• Although a cell is mostly water, the rest of the cell consists mostly of carbon-based molecules
• Organic chemistry is the study of carbon compounds
• Carbon


  • It has four electrons in an outer shell that holds eight
  • Carbon can share its electrons with other atoms to form up to four covalent bonds

  
• Hydrocarbons


  The simplest carbon compounds that contain only carbon and hydrogen atoms
• Carbon


  • Attach to other carbons
  • Form an endless diversity of carbon skeletons
• The hydrocarbons of fat molecules provide energy for our bodies
• Each type of organic molecule has a unique three-dimensional shape
• The shape determines its function in an organism
• Functional Groups


  Groups of atoms that give properties to the compounds to which they attach
• Functional Groups


  • Gained Electrons
  • Lost Electrons
• Large molecules are called polymers
• Polymers


  Molecules made from a large number of monomers joined together in a chain
• Monomers


  Smaller molecules from which polymers are made
• Biologists call large molecules macromolecules
• Examples of Polymers


  • Proteins
  • Lipids
  • Carbohydrates
  • Nucleic Acids
• Polymers are made by stringing together many smaller molecules called monomers
• Nucleic Acid Monomer
• Linking Monomers


  1. Cells link monomers by a process called condensation or dehydration synthesis (removing a molecule of water)

  2. This process joins two sugar monomers to make a double sugar
• Breaking Down Polymers


  1. Cells break down macromolecules by a process called hydrolysis (adding a molecule of water)

  2. Water added to split a double sugar
• Macromolecules in Organisms


  • Carbohydrates
  • Lipids
  • Proteins
  • Nucleic Acids
• Carbohydrates


  Include small sugar molecules in soft drinks and long starch molecules in pasta and potatoes
• Monosaccharides


  Called simple sugars, include glucose, fructose, & galactose, have the same chemical, but different structural formulas
• Monosaccharides


  • Glucose
  • Fructose
  • Galactose
• Glucose is found in sports drinks, fructose is found in fruits, honey contains both glucose & fructose, galactose is called "milk sugar"
• Isomers


  Glucose & fructose are isomers because they're structures are different, but their chemical formulas are the same

  
• In aqueous (watery) solutions, monosaccharides form ring structures
• Monosaccharides


  The main fuel that cells use for cellular work
• Disaccharides


  A double sugar made by joining two monosaccharides, involves removing a water molecule (condensation)
• Disaccharides


  • Sucrose (table sugar)
  • Lactose (Milk Sugar)
  • Maltose (Grain sugar)
• Disaccharides


  Sucrose is composed of glucose + fructose, maltose is composed of 2 glucose molecules, lactose is made of galactose + glucose

  
• Polysaccharides


  Complex carbohydrates composed of many sugar monomers linked together, polymers of monosaccharide chains