T H E F U N C T I O N B E H I N D L I F E

BIOCHEM ORGANIC MATTER

What are living creatures made of ?Why do we have to eat?

Have you ever wondered what happens to the food that you eat and

do not flush down the toilet hours later… ????

ELEMENTS OF LIFE

• 96% of living organisms are made of:1. Carbon (C)2. Oxygen (O)3. Hydrogen (H)4. Nitrogen (N)And also …5. Sulfur (S)6. Phosphate (P)

CARBON IS THE “BACKBONE” OF LIFE

• All organic molecules … have Carbon atoms as the

basis of the moleculeContain Carbon, Hydrogen

and Oxygen atomsAre made by chemically

bonding smaller molecules called subunits (building blocks)

THE CARBON ATOM

• Carbon can from single, double and triple bonds.• Carbon has four places it needs to

bond.

MOLECULES OF LIFE

What are bodies made of?Carbohydrates

Sugars & starchesProteins

Muscles, Enzymes, Hormones

LipidsFats, Oils, Waxes,

SteroidsNucleic Acids

DNA, RNA

Putting C, H, O & N together in different ways builds living organisms.

WHY DO WE EAT ?

We eat to take in more of those chemicals. Food for building materials

To make more of us (cells)For growthFor repair

Food to make energyCaloriesTo make ATP

WHAT DO WE NEED TO EAT?

• Foods to give you more building blocks & more energy for building & running your body:CarbohydratesProteinsFatsNucleic AcidsVitaminsMinerals, SaltsWater

DON’T FORGET WATER..!!

• Water• 75% of your body is H2O

• Water is inorganicDoes NOT contain Carbon

• Used in Hydrolysis & Dehydration synthesis

THE REST OF YOU…

• The rest of you is made out of carbon molecules:Organic molecules

Carbohydrates Proteins Fats Nucleic Acids

How do we make these molecules? We build them SYNTHESIS = to build !!

BUILDING LARGE MOLECULES OF LIFE

•Chain together smaller molecules• Building block molecules•Monomers – single unit

BUILDING LARGE MOLECULES OF LIFE

•Big molecules built from little molecules•Polymers – many Monomers (subunits) bonded together

The Polymer Party

BUILDING LARGE MOLECULES

• Take Monomers (small molecules) = building blocks• … and bond them together to make a Polymer

This Process is called: Dehydration Synthesis• Monomers can be attached to each other by

removing WATER.

BUILDING IMPORTANT POLYMERS

• Carbohydrates Built from sugars

• ProteinsBuilt from amino acids (A-A)

• LipidsBuilt from hydrocarbon

chains

• Nucleic Acids (DNA) Built from nucleotides

BUILDING IMPORTANT POLYMERS

• Carbohydrates Built from sugars

• ProteinsBuilt from amino acids (A-A)

• LipidsBuilt from hydrocarbon

chains

• Nucleic Acids (DNA) Built from nucleotides

HOW TO BUILD LARGE MOLECULES

• Dehydration Synthesis = removing waterBuilding bigger molecules from smaller moleculesBuilding cells & bodiesWater is removed in between each monomer

HOW TO TAKE LARGE MOLECULES APART

• Digestion (Hydrolysis): adding WaterTaking a BIG molecule apartGetting raw materialMaking energy (ATP)Hydrolysis – adding water

T H E E N G E RY M O L E C U L E

CARBOHYDRATES

CARBOHYDRATES

• The Energy molecule• Building block molecule:

Sugars

CARBOHYDRATE

• Function:1. Quick energy2. Energy storage3. Cell structure

CARBOHYDRATES

• Examples:SugarsStarchesCellulose (cell wall)

CARBOHYDRATES

• Names for sugars usually end in –ose Glucose Fructose Sucrose Maltose

CARBOHYDRATES

• Building Carbohydrates Dehydrates Synthesis

removing water between Monomers

CARBOHYDRATES• BIG Carbohydrates

Starch o Energy storage in plantso Example; Potatoes

Glycogeno Energy storage in animalso Example: in liver and

muscles Celluloseo Structure in plantso Example: cell walls

Chitino Structure in bugs & fungio Example: Exoskeleton

DIGESTING STARCH VS. CELLULOSE

• Starch – easy to digest• Cellulose – hard to digest

CELLULOSE

• Cell walls in plantsHerbivores can digest celluloseMost carnivores cannot digest cellulose

That’s why they eat meat to get their energy & nutrientsCellulose = fiber

HELPFUL BACTERIA

• How can cows digest cellulose?Bacteria live in their stomachs & help digest

cellulose- rich meals (grass)

C O N C E N T RAT E D E N E R GY M O L E C U L E

LIPIDS

LIPIDS

• Examples:Fats OilsWaxesSex hormones

Testosterone Estrogen

LIPIDS

• Function:• Energy storage

Very concentratedTwice the energy as carbohydrates!!

• Cell membrane• Cushions organs• Insulates body

LIPIDS

• BIG FAT Molecule• Glycerol + 3 Fatty acids

MAKING LIPIDS

FATS • Saturated Fats

most animal fatsSolid at room

temperatureYou should limit

amount in diet Causes heart disease Deposits in arteries

• Unsaturated Fats plant, vegetable &

fish fats Liquid at room

temperatureBetter choice in diet

M U LT I P U R P O S E M O L E C U L E

PROTEINS

PROTEINS

• Examples:MuscleFingernailsSkinHairEnzymes

PepsinHormones

Insulin

PROTEINS

• Function:Hormones

Insulin Growth hormone

Movement Muscle

Immune system Protect against germs

Enzymes Helps chemical

reactions

PROTEINS

• Amino Acids are the building blocks

PROTEINS

• Proteins fold and twist into 3-D shape

PROTEINS

Destroying Proteins• Unfolding proteins = “denature”

TemperaturepH (acidy)