Regents Biology 2006-2007

The Chemistry of Life

What are living creatures made of?

Why do we have to eat?

Regents Biology

96% of living organisms is made of: carbon (C) oxygen (O) hydrogen (H) nitrogen (N)

Elements of Life

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Organic vs. Inorganic Organic living material that contains

carbon (C)

Examples: Glucose (C6H12O6) & Starch

Inorganic Non-living material (no carbon)

Examples: Water (H2O)

Oxygen (O)

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

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Molecules of Life What are bodies made of?

carbohydrates Glucose (simple sugars) small Starch large

Proteins Amino acids fats (lipids) nucleic acids

DNA, RNA

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Why do we eat? We eat to take in more of these chemicals

Food for building materials to make more of us (cells) for growth for repair

Food to make energy calories to make ATP

ATP

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What do we need to eat? Foods to give you more building blocks

& more energy

carbohydrates proteins fats nucleic acids vitamins minerals, salts water

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Water 65% of your body is H2O water is inorganic

doesn’t contain carbon

The rest of your body is made of carbon organic = made of carbon & living

carbohydrates

Proteins ALL of these Fats contain carbon! nucleic acids

Don’t forget water

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Building large molecules of life Chain together smaller molecules

building block molecules

Big molecules built from little molecules

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Small molecules = building blocks

Bond them together = polymers

Building large organic molecules

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How to build large molecules Synthesis

building bigger molecules from smaller molecules

building cells & bodies repair growth reproduction

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ATP

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How to take large molecules apart Hydrolysis Digestion Break Down

taking big molecules apart getting raw materials

for synthesis & growth making energy (ATP)

for synthesis, growth & everyday functions

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ATP

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Example of digestion

starch glucose

ATP

ATP

ATP

ATP

ATP

ATPATP

Starch is digested into glucose (simple sugars)

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Example of synthesis

amino acids protein

amino acids = building block

Proteins are synthesized by bonding amino acids

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AnyQuestions?