BIOCHEMISTRY OF THE MOLECULES OF LIFE

READ CH. IN TEXT: Review the characteristics of the biological molecules -

carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids.
Biological Molecules
Inoganic co!"oun#s
1. Usually lack carbon
2. Generally dissolve in water or dissociate to produce ions
. !maller in si"e than organic compounds
#. Usually held together by ionic bonds
$. %norganic substances common in cells are water, o&ygen, carbon dio&ide,
inorganic salts.
Oganic co!"oun#s
1. 'ontain carbon atoms
2. (ost do not dissolve in water, those that will do not release ions
. )arge comple& compounds
#. 'ovalent bonds
$. %nclude carbohydrates, proteins, lipids
Ca$o%&#a'es
1. 'ontain carbon, hydrogen, o&ygen with 1*2*1 ratio of '*+*,
2. -hree types* monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides
. (onosaccharides .simple sugars/
a. 'ontain to 0 carbons
b. 1&amples* glucose .0'/, ribose .$'/
#. 2isaccharides
a. 'onsist of 2 monosaccharides
b. 1&amples* sucrose, lactose
$. 3olysaccharides
a. 'omposed of many monosaccharides
b. 1&amples* glycogen, starch
(o'eins
1. 'omposed of amino acids
2. 4ll amino acids contain an amine group, a carbo&yl group, and a
variable radical .R/.
. -wenty different amino acids in proteins
#. 4mino acids are 5oined together in chains by peptide bonds.
$. 3eptide bonds occur between the amine group on one amino acid and the carbo&yl
group on the ad5acent amino acid
0. 3roteins differ in the following ways*
a. -ypes of amino acids
b. 4rrangement or se6uence of amino acids
c. 7umber of amino acids
d. !hapes of the molecules - linear, coiled, folded
Li"i#s
1. -riglyceride molecule composed of glycerol and three fatty acids
2. (any different fatty acids occur in triglyceride forming many kinds of lipids.
. )ipids may be saturated or unsaturated.
a. !aturated - carbons in fatty acids are 5oined by a single bond and to two +
atoms
b. Unsaturated - ad5acent carbons in fatty acids are 5oined by double covalent
bonds and each carbon lacks a hydrogen atom
c. 3olyunsaturated - contains many double bonds between carbons
#. 3hospholipids are composed of a glycerol, two fatty acid chains, and a phosphate
group.8
$. !terols, such as cholesterol, are larger and more comple&.