Chemistry of Life

Organic Chemistry

Water

• What do you think makes water so special?

• Liquid at room temperature

• Everyone needs it to survive, You are made of mostly water

• It floats when it freezes

• Covers 75% of the earth’s surface

Uneven distribution of electrons results in a polar molecule

Hydrogen BondA bond formed in polar molecules

Chemical Compounds in Living Things

• Inorganic - Do not contain carbon– the exception is carbon dioxide– examples are: water, minerals, sand, stone, salts

• Organic – carbon-containing compounds

Organic Chemistry

• Carbon has the ability to form covalent bonds that are strong and stable

• Carbon can bond to Oxygen, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Hydrogen, Sulfur and more

Organic Chemistry

Can be single, double or triple covalent bonds

Can be a ring with single or double bonds or both

Functional Groups

• Phosphates

• PO3

Polymerization

• Can have chains of unlimited length (polymers)

• large compounds (polymers) formed by joining together smaller compounds (monomer)

Polymerization

Starch

Glucose

Compounds of Life

• Proteins

• Carbohydrates

• Fats (lipids)

• Nucleic Acids

Carbohydrates

Powerful Stuff

Carbohydrates

Sugars and Starches• Contain Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen in a 1:2:1

ratio• Simplest is Monosaccharides – simple sugars • Glucose, galactose, fructose• C6H12O6

• What makes them different is the arrangement of atoms

• Sugars contain lots of energy (stored in the bonds)

Dehydration Synthesis

Dehydration Synthesis

• 2 or more monosaccharides combine to form a larger molecule (polymerize)

• Join at OH groups of each molecule. One OH from one molecule combines with the H of another. What is it called when you take the water out of something? Dehydration.

• Synthesis is “Putting together”. Dehydration Synthesis is putting two molecules (in this case simple sugars) together and forming a complex molecule (in this case sugar).

• Monosaccharides are put together forming Disaccharides

• Table Sugar (sucrose) is a disaccharide.

Hydrolysis

Hydrolysis

• Split apart polysaccharides

• Reverse of dehydration synthesis

Polysaccharides

• Putting together many monosaccharides

• Storage of sugars

• Starch (Plant)

• Glycogen (Animals)

Lipids

Phat!

Lipids

• Waxy, Oily

• 3 Functions:– store energy– form membranes– chemical messengers

Lipids

• Fatty Acids and Glycerol = lipid• Fatty acids are long chains of hydrogen and

carbon atoms with a carboxyl group at one end. • Glycerol – organic alcohol – 3C each attached

to a hydroxyl group (-OH) - Triglyceride• Adding two or three fatty acids to glycerol

forms many lipids.

Lipids

• Saturated and Unsaturated Lipids• Saturated – every carbon is attached to another

carbon with a single bond – it has the maximum # of Hydrogen atoms

• Unsaturated – If any of the C are bonded with a double bond, the fatty acid is unsaturated

• Polyunsaturated – If the fatty acid contains several double bonds, it is polyunsaturated

Lipids

Arrangement Characteristics

Saturated No Double Bonds Solid at room TempFrom meats & dairy

Unsaturated One double bond

Polyunsaturated Several double bonds Liquid at room tempCooking oilsGood for you

Lipids

• Phospholipids – double ended molecule – one side dissolves in water the other side does not.

• Forms Cell Membranes• Cholesterol is a sterol (type of lipid) –

Important in cell membranes (keeps phospholipids from sticking together)

• excess cholesterol is a risk factor of heart disease (clogs arteries)

Proteins

The meat of the matter!

Amino Acids

• Nitrogen containing• Polymers of amino acids

Peptides

• Bond that joins two amino acids is called a Peptide Bond.

• Water molecule formed when peptide bond forms

• What do we call this? … Dehydration Synthesis

Peptide Bonds

Peptide Bond

Polypeptides

• Polypeptide – long chain of peptides• One or more polypeptide chains, and

sometimes other chemical groups, form a Protein.

• Proteins are important for various reasons: – Help carry out chemical reactions

– Pump small molecules out of cells

– Ability of cells to move

Enzymes

Make it happen!

Nucleic Acids

Its all in the genes

Nucleic Acids

• RNA and DNA• Carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen and phosphorus

atoms• Polymers of nucleotides• Nucleotides are 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group,

and a nitrogenous base. • Nucleotides can be linked together to form

polynucleotide.• Store and transmit genetic information

Nucleic Acids

Nucleic Acids