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