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Carbon… building block of life

  • Carbon
    • Atomic number of 6, so…
      • Protons =
      • Electrons =
      • Valence electrons =
        • Which means that it can make up to 4 bonds.
        • These bonds can form:
          • Straight Chains
          • Branched Chains
          • Rings

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6

6

4

Carbon Dioxide

Glucose

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Biomolecules

Biomolecules are large, organic compounds made up of smaller subunits called monomers.

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There are four main biomolecules:

  • Carbohydrates
  • Lipids
  • Nucleic Acids
  • Proteins

A.K.A macromolecules and polymers

Carbohydrates

Monomer: monosaccharide (glucose)

Lipids�Monomer: triglyceride (glycerol & 3 fatty acids)

Nucleic Acids

Monomer: nucleotides (phosphate, sugar, nitrogen base)

Proteins

Monomer: amino acids

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Carbohydrates = �Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen

  • Monomer:
    • Monosaccharide (simple sugar)
      • Examples: Glucose, fructose, galactose

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  • Combining monomers:
    • Disaccharides (di = 2)
      • Example: Sucrose (glucose + fructose)
    • Polysaccharides (poly = many)
      • Examples:
        • Starch- energy storage in plants
        • Glycogen- energy stored in liver of mammals
        • Cellulose- cell wall of plants

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  • Functions: short term energy (storage) and structure

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Lipids =�Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen

  • Monomer:
    • Triglyceride (1 glycerol + 3 fatty acids)
  • Examples: Fats, oils, waxes, steroids
  • Functions:
    • Long term energy (storage)
    • Insulation
    • Protective coverings (cell membranes)

Fatty Acid Chains:

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  1. Saturated = No double bonds = straight chain that easily stack on themselves (NOT good for blood vessels!!!).

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  • Unsaturated = Has at least one double bond = bent chains that DO NOT stack easily stack on themselves.

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Nucleic Acids =�Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen,�Nitrogen, and Phosphorus�

  • Monomer:
    • Nucleotide (Sugar, Phosphate, Nitrogenous base)
      • Sugar Examples: Deoxyribose (DNA), and Ribose (RNA)
      • Nitrogen Base Examples: Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine, Thymine (only in DNA), and Uracil (only RNA).

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  • Combining monomers:
    • Single stranded
      • Example: RNA
    • Double stranded
      • Example: DNA

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  • Function:
    • Stores genetic (hereditary) information

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Proteins =�Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Nitrogen

  • Monomer:
    • Amino Acids

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  • Combining monomers:
    • Amino Acids are held together by peptide bonds.
    • Examples: Hemoglobin, Actin, and Gluten

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  • Functions:
    • Structure, metabolism, and enzymes (biological catalysts).

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Proteins =�Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Nitrogen

  • Structure:
    • Proteins have the most complex structures of all the biomolecules.

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    • The shape (structure) of a protein and its job (function) are inseparable!!!

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    • Can have up to four levels of structure:
    • Primary- Sequence of amino acids of the polypeptide (protein) chain.

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    • Secondary- The substructure (organization) of the polypeptide (protein) chain.
      1. Alpha Helix- Amino Acid chain is twisted into a helical structure.
      2. Beta Sheet- Multiple Amino Acid chains are connected side by side into layered sheet.

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Proteins =�Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Nitrogen

  • Structure: Continued

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    • Tertiary- The overall three-dimensional shape of the polypeptide (protein).

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    • Quaternary- The overall three-dimensional shape of a polypeptide (protein) complex made up of multiple polypeptide (protein) chains.

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