Unit 1

Part 2

Molecules of Life
 Molecules of Life
 The most common four elements in the living body are carbon, Hydrogen,
Oxygen and Nitrogen.

 Chemical compounds that build up living matter can be divided in to two types
1) Organic 2) In organic compounds.

 Compounds which contain Carbon are know as organic compounds and which
is devoid of carbon is called inorganic compounds.

 Organic compounds which build up the living matter or

living body are know as biological molecules.
 Molecules of Life

 There are four different types of biological molecules which are often
referred as the molecules of life.

 They are proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acids. Each of the
four groups are vital for every single organism on Earth.

 Without any of these four molecules, a cell or any organism would not be
able to live. These are important either structurally or functionally for cells.

 Among the molecules of life Proteins are the most important ones as they
are considered as the building blocks of life.
 Water
• It is an inorganic compound which is present in the highest proportion (70%)
in human body and other living organisms.

 It accounts for 2/3rd of bodyweight of most living organisms. Water is a polar

solvent which leads to hydrogen bonding.

 Like no other common substance, water exists in nature in all three physical
states: solid, liquid and gas (vapor phase).
 It is a universal solvent able to dissolve a large number of different chemical
compounds and provides a medium for biochemical reactions in cells of organisms.

 It acts as respiratory medium for aquatic organisms as oxygen

is soluble in water.

 Due to high specific heat, water can regulate body temperature

with respect to changing environment.

 Water helps in transport of nutrients, vitamins and hormones to

their respective locations.

 Density of water is higher than ice as a result it comes on top layer

keeping liquid water at the bottom which supports the aquatic living
organisms.
Uses of Water

 vehicle for chemical reactions.

 regulation of body temperature.

 excretion of waste.

 acts as solvent.

 transport of food, nutrients and essential gases.

 protection, serves as base for body lubricants

 Nucleic acids
 Nucleic acids are molecules that allow the organisms to transfer the genetic
information from one generation to other. Thus, considered as the most important
biological molecules in the living matter.

 DNA is a very well-known type of molecule that makes up the genetic material of a
cell. DNA is responsible for carrying all the information an organism needs to
survive, grow and reproduce.

 Nucleic acids are long chains made from many smaller molecules called
nucleotides. Each nucleotide is made from a sugar, a base and a phosphate group.
 There are two types of nucleic acids that are essential to all life. These are DNA
(deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid).

 The two differences between DNA and RNA are their sugars and their bases. DNA
has a deoxyribose sugar while RNA has a ribose sugar. DNA has four different
bases – adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G), and cytosine (C). RNA has three of
the same bases but the thymine base is replaced with a base called uracil (U).

 RNA is a lesser known molecule but it also plays an important role in cells. RNA
molecules are used to translate the information stored in DNA molecules and use
the information to help build proteins. Without RNA, the information in DNA
would be useless.
 Proteins
 Proteins are the most common molecules found in cells. Protein constitutes
50% of the cell weight after removing all the water from cell.

 They are the essential constituent in all living cells comprising of Carbon,
Hydrogen, Oxygen and Nitrogen and some times Sulphur.

 Proteins constitutes to around 17% of total body weight.

 Proteins are complex molecules made up of polymerized aminoacid molecules.

 They are prominent in Meat, fish, egg white, cereals, pulses and other foods
rich in protein.
 There are 20 different amino acids that are used to build proteins.

 All the proteins present in organisms starting from bacteria to humans are made
up of these 20 different amino acids.

 The different amino acids can be arranged into trillions of different

sequences that each creates a unique protein.
 The long chain of amino acids twists and folds on itself to produce the final
shape of a protein.

 The primary structure of a protein is a long chain made from many smaller
molecules called amino acids.
Glycine(G) Alanine(A) Valine(V) Isoleucine(I) Leucine(L)

Proline(P) Methionine(M) Phenylalanine(F) Tryptophan(W) Asparagine(N)

Glutamine(Q) Serine(S) Threonine(T) Tyrosine(Y) Cysteine(C)

Asparaticacid(D) Glutamicacid(E) Lysine(K) Arginine(R) Histidine (H)

White:Hydrophobic,Green:Hydrophilic,Red:Acidic,Blue:Basic
 Peptide Bond Formation

 Individual amino acids form a polypeptide chain.

 Such a chain is a component for describing macromolecular structure.

 The chain has its own set of attributes and the peptide linkage is planar and
rigid

Primary Structure
 Protein structure
 The structure of proteins can be broadly divided in to four different types.
1) Primary 2) Secondary 3) Tertiary 4) Quaternary.

 Primary structure: The sequence/assembly of amino acids in the protein.

 Secondary structure: The formation/folding of α- helix and β-sheet due to

hydrogen bonding between peptide back bone.

 Tertiary structure: Folding/Packaging of helices and sheets influenced by “ R ”

groups.

 Quaternary: The association/interaction of more than one polypeptide in to

protein complex influenced by “ R ” group.
Protein Structure has four levels of organization
 Protein Structure

S T R U C T U RE Primary Assembly

PR O C E SS
Secondary Folding

Tertiary Packing

Quaternary Interaction
 Function of Proteins
 Energy source: Proteins are used for energy generation when sufficient energy is
not supplied from lipids and carbohydrates.

 Structural component: Proteins are important in making cell membrane

(Peripheral, trans membrane, and integral proteins).

 Enzymes: Usually enzymes are proteins which helps in all biochemical reactions
taking place in organisms.

 Hormones : These are proteins involved in homeostasis and coordination of

organisms Eg: Insulin, Growth hormone.

 Immune response: Antibodies are protein in nature produced by body to protect

the body against microorganisms that enter into body.
Carbohydrates
 Carbohydrates
 A carbohydrate molecule is made from atoms of carbon, hydrogen and
oxygen. They are found in the form of either a sugar or many sugars linked
together.

 A single sugar molecule is known as a monosaccharide. Two sugar

molecules bonded together is a disaccharide and many sugar molecules
makes a polysaccharide.

 These are the important source of energy for all the living organisms. They
also provide structural support for cells and help with communication
between cells.
Formation of a glycosidic bond
Plants use the sun’s energy to convert CO₂ into carbohydrates. The energy of
these carbohydrates later allow plants to grow and reproduce.
The cell walls of bacteria, plants and fungi are made from carbohydrates.
Cell walls provide important protection for the cells from external environment.
Other differences:
5. Amylose low molecular weight starch polysaccharide whereas
amylopectin is high molecular weight starch polysaccharide.

6. Amylose is made up of 300 - 5000 glucose molecules whereas

amylopectin contains 50,000 – 5,00,000 glucose molecules.
Structure of polysaccharides