THE FACTS OF LIFE

BIOMOLECULES - ENERGY

ENERGY-RICH MOLECULES:
-ATP
-NADH
-FADH

WHAT KINDS OF MOLECULES ARE BIOMOLECULES?

-HOCNP

hydrogen - 63%
oxygen - 25.5%
carbon - 9.5%
nitrogen - 1.4%

STRUCTURAL ORGANIZATION OF COMPLEX BIOMOLECULES

1. Organic Precursors
- carbon dioxide, water, nitrogen

2. Metabolites
- pyruvate, malate, succinate

3. Building Blocks
- amino acids, nucleotides, monosaccharides, fatty acids

4. Macromolecules
- proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, lipids

5. Supramolecular Complexes
- ribosomes

6. Organelles

7. The Cell

BIOMOLECULES

1. Carbohydrates
2. Proteins
3. Lipids
4. Nucleic Acids

Carbohydrates
-provides energy

-cereals, fruits, vegetables, milk

- caloric deficiency = marasmus = loss of weight, poor skin turgor, old-men look,
distended abdomen

monosaccharides
1. glucose
2. galactose
3. fructose
disaccharides
1. lactose
2. sucrose
3. maltose

polysaccharides
1. cellulose
2. starch
3. glycogen
4. chitin

PROTEINS
- growth and repair of tissues
- maintain fluid and acid-base balance
- provides energy

-meat, fish, dairy products, eggs, nuts, legumes

- protein deficiency = kwashiorkor = lethargy, loss of muscular tissue, increase

susceptibility to infection, edema

- hormones
- enzymes
- antibody
- hemoglobin
- keratin

LIPIDS
- provides essential fatty acids and energy, absorbs fat-soluble vitamins, protects
vital body tissues, insulates body

- fats and oils, meats, fish, nuts, dairy products

- phospholipids
- triglycerides
- waxes

NUCLEIC ACID
- DNA = deoxyribonucleic acid
- RNA = ribonucleic acid

DNA - double helix = sugar + phosphate

Vitamins A
- affects vision, health of skin, growth of hair, nails, bones, prevents infection
- dairy products, fruits and vegetables
- night blindness
- fetal malformations

Vitamin D
- calcium absorption, bone mineralization
- dairy products, egg yolks
- rickets and osteomalacia
- kidney damage

Vitamin E
- antioxidant
- vegetable oil, nuts
- red blood cell destruction

Vitamin K
- blood clotting
- green vegetables
- hemorrhages
- anemia, jaundice

Vitamin C
- antioxidant
- citrus fruits
- scurvy, poor wound healing

Vitamin B
- B1 = thiamine - energy metabolism
- B2 = riboflavin - energy metabolism
- B3 = niacin - enery metabolism
- B6 = pyridoxine - protein metabolism
- B9 = folic acid - metabolism of DNA and RNA, red blood cell maturation
- B12 = cyanocobalamin - folate metabolism

THE CELL

- Plasma Membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus

- ER
- ribosomes
- Golgi apparatus
- mitochondrion
- lysosomes
- cytoskeleton = microtubules, microfilaments,
- vacuole
- cilia and flagella
- nucleolus

A cell is defined as the smallest, basic unit of life that is responsible for all
of life’s processes.

Prominent parts of the cell:

- Cell Membrane
- cytoplasm
- nucleus

1. Cell Membrane - consists of a semipermeable membrane - phospholipid bilayer.

- the cell membrane controls which substances enter and leave the cell, and also
separates the interior of the cell from its external environment.

-cholesterol
-glycolipid
-glycoprotein
-glycocalyx
-transport proteins: channel and carrier

2. cytoplasm - fluid filled space within the cell where the organelles are found.

-cytosol
-cytomembrane system

3. nucleus - the biggest organelle that contain the chromosomes.

- control center of the cell

-nuclear envelope
-nuclear membrane = DNA
-nucleulus = pre-assembly site of ribosomes

4. mitochondrion - the powerhouse of the cell.

-outer membrane
-inner membrane
-cristae
-matrix

5. RER - protein synthesis

6. SER - lipid synthesis

7. ribosomes - protein synthesis

8. Golgi Complex/Apparatus - collect, sort, package, deliver substances

-cisternae

9. transport vesicle - move substances between compartments

10. secretory vesicle - release contents

11. vesicles

-peroxisomes - catabolize fatty acids and toxins

-lysosomes - digestion = enzymes

12. cytoskeleton - provide internal cellular scaffolding

-microtubule = made up of tubulin

-microfilament = made up of actin
-intermediate fibers = made up of keratin

13. centrioles - organize DNA movement during cell division

14. vacuole - help maintain water balance

15. flagella - hairlike projections that protrudes from the cell to provide
motility

16. cilia - hairlike projections

Water

-water is an excellent solvent

-water has a high heat capacity
-water has cohesive and adhesive properties
-water is less dense in solid than in liquid
-water is very essential for cells