ELEMENTS OF LIFE
all living cells, including human cells. 3.
Most molecules produced by living organisms
(biological molecules) are made from combinations of
six important elements, whose chemical symbols are
C, H, N, O, P, & S. The letters stand for the chemical
abbreviations of: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen,
phosphorus, and sulfur. These six elements make up
98% of the mass of all living organisms.
Carbon
- Makes up almost all the macromolecules of
life, both living and non living.
- 4th most abundant element on planet earth
- Very important blueprint of life
DNA
- Deoxyribonucleic acid
- The blueprint of life is stabilized by CHO
What is the size of your DNA?
- 6 microns across with 3 billion base pairs in
each cell. It is 2m long when stretched. All the
DNA in all your cells put together would be
about twice the diameter of the Solar System
Nucleic acids
- Proteins found on nucleus
- Thymine is one of the four nucleobases in the
nucleic acid of DNA. It is naturally produced
in the body during the DNA replication
process. It can also be found in certain foods,
particularly in protein-rich foods like meat,
fish, beans, and nuts, as these foods contain
nucleic acids.
- Adenine is a nucleobase found in DNA, RNA,
and ATP. It is naturally present in all living
organisms. It can also be found in certain
foods, such as meat, poultry, and certain
vegetables and fruits.
- Guanine is one of the five main nucleobases
found in the nucleic acids DNA and RNA. It is
naturally found in a variety of sources,
including: 1. Foods: Guanine is present in
various foods, especially in fish like herring,
sardines, and anchovies. It's also found in meat
and poultry. 2. Cells: Guanine is a
fundamental component of genetic material in
Guano: Guanine was first discovered in guano,
the excrement of seabirds, bats, and seals.
Remember, guanine is a crucial part of our
genetic code and plays a vital role in the
structure and function of cells.
-
Cytosine is one of the four main bases found
in DNA and RNA, along with adenine,
guanine, and thymine (uracil in RNA). It is
naturally produced in the body during the
normal processes of DNA replication and
transcription. In terms of dietary sources,
cytosine can be found in foods that contain
nucleic acids, such as meats, seafood, and
certain vegetables.
What is the difference between nucleic acid and amino
acid?
- Nucleic acids are proteins found in the
nucleus. Building blocks of who you are as an
individual. It stores genetic information.
- Amino acids are not found in the nucleus.
Building blocks of proteins. It is significant
during protein synthesis.
Phosphorus
- stabilizes your DNA
- Plays a big role in connecting all of the DNA
bases because it doesn’t work when each other
is not connected
- A molecule of DNA is formed by millions of
nucleotides joined together in a long chain
- Phosphorus is a key component of the
phosphate groups in the DNA molecule. These
phosphate groups link the deoxyribose sugars
of adjacent nucleotides together, forming the
backbone of the DNA strand. This backbone
provides structural stability to the DNA
molecule and allows it to resist enzymatic
degradation. Additionally, the negative charge
of the phosphate groups contributes to the
solubility of DNA in water and helps to repel
other negatively charged molecules, further
stabilizing the DNA structure.

Adenine always pairs with thymine and
cytosine pairs guanine because nothing accident
happens in the life, and the engineering is tightly
controlled for us to recognize that we are designed
supernaturally
What's the difference between the pairing of AT vs.
CG
- Adenine forms a bond with Thymine
- Cytosine bonds with Guanine
Hydrogen bonds stabilize the base pairing.
- hydrogen bonds play a crucial role in
stabilizing the base pairing in DNA. Adenine
(A) forms two hydrogen bonds with thymine
(T), and guanine (G) forms three hydrogen
bonds with cytosine (C). These bonds hold the
two strands of the DNA helix together.
- Specifies which base pairs with which base.
Foods That Are Rich in Phosphorus
1. Milk
2. Cottage cheese
3. Sunflower seeds
4. Canned sardines in oil
5. Pumpkin seeds
6. Eggs
7. Chicken
CHNOPS stands for Carbon, Hydrogen,
Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur. These
elements are the six most important chemical elements
whose covalent combinations make up most biological
molecules on Earth. - Carbon (C) is found in the
atmosphere as carbon dioxide and in fossil fuels like
coal and petroleum. - Hydrogen (H) is found in water
and in all organic compounds. - Nitrogen (N) is found
in the atmosphere and in soil. - Oxygen (O) is found in
the atmosphere, in water, and in all organic
compounds. - Phosphorus (P) is found in rocks and
minerals and is released into the soil and water through
weathering. - Sulfur (S) is found in rocks and minerals
and is released into the soil and water through
weathering. It is also found in the atmosphere as sulfur
dioxide.
Carbohydrates: What's the difference between a 5-
carbon ribose vs. 6-carbon glucose
Ribose is a component of RNA and ATP, while
glucose is the primary source of energy for cells.
Ribose and glucose are both types of sugars.
Ribose is a five-carbon sugar (pentose) and is
important in the formation of RNA and DNA. Glucose
is a six-carbon sugar (hexose) and is the primary
source of energy for cells. The main difference
between them is the number of carbon atoms they
contain and their roles in the body.
What's the difference of ribose vs. deoxyribose?
- Deoxyribose is a sugar molecule that is a key
component of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid).
It's part of the backbone structure of DNA,
linking together the nucleotide bases (adenine,
thymine, guanine, and cytosine) that carry
genetic information. The "deoxy" in
deoxyribose refers to the fact that it's missing
an oxygen atom compared to its counterpart in
RNA, ribose. This difference contributes to the
differing structures and functions of DNA and
RNA.
Ribose sugar is a crucial component of RNA
(Ribonucleic Acid), which is involved in protein
synthesis and genetic coding in living organisms. It's
also part of ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate), the main
energy source for cellular processes
Amino acids play several crucial roles in the body:
1. Protein Synthesis: Amino acids are the
building blocks of proteins, which are
essential for growth and repair of body
tissues.
2. Energy Production: Some amino acids can
be converted into glucose and used for
energy.
3. Neurotransmitter Production: Certain
amino acids are used to produce
neurotransmitters, which are chemicals
that transmit signals in the brain.
4. Immune Function: Amino acids are
necessary for the production of antibodies,
which fight off infections and diseases.
5. Hormone Production: Some amino acids
are involved in the production of
hormones. In terms of applications and
uses, amino acids are used in nutritional
supplements and food technology. They
are also used in the production of
pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

The amino acids are joined together in the correct

sequence to make part of a protein

Nucleotides are processed into amino acids Valine enhances energy, increase endurance, and aid in
- CHNOPS stands for Carbon, Hydrogen, muscle tissue recovery and repair. It lowers elevated
Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur. blood sugar levels and increases growth hormone
These six elements are considered the production.
"elements of life" because they are the most Alanine breaks down tryptophan and vitamin B-6, a
common elements found in organic molecules, source of energy for muscles and the central nervous
which are the building blocks of life. Carbon system.
forms the backbone of organic molecules,
hydrogen and oxygen are found in water and
carbohydrates, nitrogen is a key component of
proteins and nucleic acids, phosphorus is
essential for energy transfer and nucleic acids,
and sulfur is important in some proteins.

Genetic Code
- The sequence of bases in DNA
- A group of three bases (a triplet) controls the
production of a particular amino acid in the
cytoplasm of the cell
- The different amino acids and the order in
which they are joined up determines the sort of
protein being produced
- This is known as the triplet code
- Each triplet codes for a specific amino acid
AMINO ACIDS 19. Lysine
1. Glycine → lys, K
→ gly, G → Essential amino acid
→ achiral 20. Arginine
→ Conditional amino acid → arg, R
2. Alanine → Conditional amino acid
→ ala, A
→ Nonessential amino acid
3. Serine
→ ser, S
→ Nonessential amino acid
4. Threonine
→ thr, T
→ Essential amino acid
5. Cysteine
→ cys, C
→ Conditional amino acid
6. Valine
→ val, V
→ isopryl
→ Essential amino acid
7. Leucine
→ leu, L
→ isobytyl
→ Essential amino acid
8. Isoleucine
→ ile, I
→ Essential amino acid
9. Methionine
→ met, M
→ Essential amino acid
10. Proline
→ pro, P
→ Conditional amino acid
11. Phenylalanine
→ phe, F
→ Essential amino acid
12. Tyrosine
→ tyr, Y
→ Conditional amino acid
13. Tryptophan
→ trp, W
→ Essential amino acid
14. Aspartic Acid
→ asp, D
→ Nonessential amino acid
15. Glutamic Acid
→ glu, E
→ Nonessential amino acid
16. Asparagine
→ asn, N
→ Nonessential amino acid
17. Glutamine
→ gln
→ Conditional Amino Acid
18. Histidine
→ his, H
→ Essential amino acid