Lab 3: The Chemistry of Life
macromolecules are formed by
covalent bonding between subunits
covalent bonds can produce molecules that are
either polar or non-polar
the 20 amino acids found in proteins can be
either polar or non-polar
the carbohydrate monosaccharide subunit most commonly used for energy is
glucose
the DNA double helix, as well as water molecules, are held together by
hydrogen bonds
there are over
100 known elements in the periodic table
the human body is made up of roughly
27% organic molecules and 73% inorganic molecules
describe covalent and hydrogen bonds in macromolecules
a covalent bond, also called a molecular bond, is a chemical bond that involves the sharing of electron pairs between atoms. these electron pairs are known as shared pairs or bonding pairs, and the stable balance of attractive and repulsive forces between atoms, when they share electrons, is known as covalent bonding. hydrogen bond - a weak bond between two molecules resulting from an electrostatic attraction between a proton in one molecule and an electronegative atom in the other
metabolism
a general term used to describe the energy required to keep the sum of the reactions that take place inside of organisms occurring
more than 90% of all matter consists of combinations of just 4 naturally occurring elements
oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen
living organisms, in general, require
about 20 elements
carbohydrates
are commonly referred to as sugars
elements
are pure substances made of only one type of atom
proteins
are the most abundant macromolecule in living systems
there are many classes of organic molecules
based on the functional groups they contain
polar regions can participate in another type of chemical bond
called hydrogen bonding
in biology and chemistry, the terms organic and inorganic are used to
categorize molecules
the same four types of macromolecules are used by all living organisms for
cellular metabolism and reproduction
living things require a
constant supply of energy
organic molecules
contain carbon and are typically identified by the presence of carbon-hydrogen bonds
differentiate between organic and inorganic molecules
in chemistry, organic means that a molecule has a carbon backbone with some hydrogen thrown in for good measure. living creatures are made of various kinds of organic compounds. inorganic molecules are composed of other elements. they can contain hydrogen or carbon, but if they have both, they are organic.
another nucleic acid, DNA, functions
in the production of proteins and other cellular processes
ammonia (NH3), table salt (NaCl), and water (H2O) are all examples of
inorganic molecules
interestingly, the number of naturally occurring atoms
is unclear, as the periodic table continues to develop as elements are detected or synthesized in laboratories
the same types of macromolecules used by all living organisms are
lipids, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and proteins
in living organisms, the most important organic compounds belong to a classification of molecules called
macromolecules, or large molecules
other useful carbohydrates include
maltose, lactose, sucrose, and starch
lipids are mostly
non-polar
when macromolecules are created
non-polar regions tend to be located close together
the properties the main four macromolecules convey are
of great importance to cell function
carbohydrates serve as
one of the primary sources of metabolic energy
lipids
or fats, have many functions within living organisms, including energy storage, membrane structure, and internal cellular component formation
carbohydrates (sugars) and proteins are examples of
organic molecules.
proteins are major components of
tendons, ligaments, and muscles in the human body
hydrogen bonds result from
the interaction of the positive region of one polar molecule and the negative region of another polar molecule
all genetic material is composed of
the nucleic acid deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
although hydrogen bond are relatively weak
they are extremely important in the maintenance of chemical structures
molecules are defined as
two or more atoms bonded together
molecules are substances that contain
two or more atoms bonded together
like lipids, proteins perform a
variety of functions