Organic Compounds “Macromolecules”. Macromolecules in Living Organisms There are 4 main classes...

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Organic Compounds “Macromolecules”

Transcript of Organic Compounds “Macromolecules”. Macromolecules in Living Organisms There are 4 main classes...

Organic Compounds

“Macromolecules”

Macromolecules in Living Organisms

• There are 4 main classes of macromolecules:

Carbohydrates

Lipids

Proteins

Nucleic acids

Carbohydrates• Main function is

energy storage

• Play a role in:– Cell to cell

communication– Immune

system– Fertilization– Blood clotting

Carbohydrates

• Composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen• Monosaccharide: single sugar (1C:2H:1O)

– Examples: glucose (energy for cells), fructose (found in fruit), galactose (found in milk)

• Disaccharide: two monosaccharides joined by condensation reaction – Example: sucrose, lactose (milk), maltose (beer)

• Polysaccharide: three or more monosaccharides joined by condensation reaction– Examples: glycogen (animals store excess sugar);

starch (plants store excess sugar)

• Store and release energy• Stores energy more efficiently than

carbohydrates • Essential fatty acids important in

regulating blood pressure

Lipids

• Contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen• Do NOT dissolve in water (hydrophobic)• Fatty Acids: un-branched carbon chains with

carboxyl group (COOH) at one end• Complex Lipids:

– Triglyceride– Phospholipids– Waxes

• Steroids: four carbon rings with various functional groups attached– Testosterone, cholesterol

Triglycerides• Fats & oils• Saturated (animals): solid at room temperature

– Carbon Single Bonds

• Unsaturated (plants): liquids at room temperature– Carbon Double Bonds

Waxes• Highly waterproof• In plants forms cuticle

– (protective outer covering)

• In animals earwax – (keeps micro-organisms from entering inner ear)

Proteins

• Structure– Cell membranes– Skin– Tendons– Nails– Hair– Muscle

• Storage• Transport • Hormones• Defense• ENZYMES!!!!!

Proteins

• Composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen

• Formed by linking many amino acids together – (held together by a peptide bond)– Each amino acid contains a central carbon

atom, an amino group (NH2), a carboxyl group (COOH), a hydrogen atom, and an “R” group

Proteins• Make up 50% of the dry weight of living organisms• Building blocks• Amino acids, dipeptide, polypeptide

R

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H2N – C – COOH

|

HThe R group is different in each amino acid, & its properties determine the final structure & function of the protein

Proteins

Steroids• Steroid nucleus• Functions

Nucleic Acids

• Molecules of inheritance

• Assembled from monomers called nucleotides

• A nucleotide contains: phosphate group, nitrogen base, a five carbon sugar

• DNA & RNA

Nucleic Acids

Nucleic Acids

• DNA– Deoxyribonuleic acid

• Sugar is deoxyribose• N base: A, C, G, T

– Double stranded– Contains information about

cell activities and cell division

– Stays in the nucleus

• RNA– Ribonucleic acid

• Sugar is ribose• N base: A, C, G, U

– Single stranded– Stores and transfers

information on making proteins

– Reads the information carried by DNA

– Leaves the nucleus– 3 types: mRNA, tRNA,

rRNA