Nutrition, Macromolecules, and Enzymes

What are the macronutrients?

• Carbohydrates

• Proteins

• Fats

What are carbohydrates broken down into?

Simple sugars (useable as energy)

What are broken down carbohydrates used for?

• Used to build cell-surface markers

• Energy storage molecules

What are proteins broken down into?

Amino acids

What are broken down proteins used for?

To assemble new proteins that have any different functions in the body

What are proteins known as?

The “workforces” of the body

What are lipids broken down into?

• Fatty acids

• Glycerol

What are broken down lipids used for?

To build molecules that form cell membranes

What macromolecule is not a macronutrient?

Nucleic acids

If nucleic acids are broken down, what do they become?

Individual nucleotides

What are broken down nucleic acids used for?

To build DNA and RNA

What are essential nutrients?

Nutrients that cells cannot make and must be obtained through diet

How many amino acids are used to build proteins?

20

How many of the 20 amino acids are essential?

9

Digestion

Series of chemical reactions to break the bonds that hold certain food molecules together

What does metabolism require for digestion?

Enzymes

Enzyme

Protein that speeds up a chemical reaction (does the breaking or the building)

Substrate

Molecule that the enzyme works on (being broken or built)

Active Site

Part of the enzyme that binds the substrate and the reaction happens (where the “work” happens)

What are the 2 main reactions for homeostasis?

• Catabolic reactions

• Anabolic reactions

Catabolic Reactions

Breaks down larger structures into smaller ones (bond breaking)

• Hydrolysis reactions

Hydrolysis Reactions

Water is used to break bonds in a larger molecule (splitting it into smaller parts) *think water scissors* - can break covalent bonds

Anabolic Reactions

New structures are build from smaller subunits by taking a water molecule from each (building a bond)

• requires energy

Dehydration Synthesis

Building something bigger by taking water out

What’s important to know about enzymes?

They can speed up but are not consumed in the process

Catalyze

To speed up a reaction without being consumed in the process

What is the main thing enzymes change in a reaction?

The amount of activation energy required (done by bending, pushing, or orientating)

What does an enzyme create to speed up a reaction?

A microenvironment that makes the reaction go faster

Primary Structure (Structure of Proteins)

• The order of amino acids in the chain

• Like letters in a word

Secondary Structure (Structure of Proteins)

• Folding into coils or sheets

• Held together by hydrogen bonds

Tertiary Structure (Structure of Proteins)

• Overall 3D shape of any one polypeptide chain

• Caused by interactions between side chains

Quaternary Structure (Structure of Proteins)

• Two or more polypeptide chains joined together

• Makes a functional protein

Polypeptide

Long chain of amino acids linked together

Denaturation

Extreme environment disrupts protein shape and function

What is a big clue for an enzyme in the wording?

Typically end in “ase”

Minerals

Inorganic nutrients needed for growth, reproduction, and tissue maintenance

What are some examples of minerals?

• Calcium

• Iron

• Potassium

• Zinc

Vitamins

Organic molecules required in small amounts for growth, reproduction, and tissue maintenance

Coenzyme

A small organic molecule needed to activate an enzyme

Cofactor

An inorganic molecule that helps an enzyme work properly

Organic Molecules

Can have lots of carbon atoms

Inorganic Molecules

Not a lot of carbon atoms

What is the main role of carbohydrates in the body?

They serve as the body’s main fuel source

How does fiber affect absorption in the small intestine?

It slows absorption of sugar, fat, and cholesterol

What structure typically provides a lot of fiber

Plant cell walls

What is soluble fiber?

Fiber that dissolves in water (hydrophilic)

What is insoluble fiber?

Fiber that does not dissolve well in water

Why doesn’t insoluble fiber interact much with water?

It’s cellulose polymers are tightly stacked with many hydrogen bonds

What bonds hold polysaccharides together?

Glycosidic linkages

What bonds hold proteins together?

Peptide bonds

What enzyme does penicillin bind to in bacteria?

Transpeptidase, preventing strong peptidoglycan cell walls

What type of reaction forms covalent bonds?

Dehydration synthesis

Mannoproteins

Proteins with sugars attached (form the surface of fungal cell walls)

Glucan Layer

Branched sugar polymers covalently bonded in the fungal cell wall

Chitin

A sugar-based, multilayered component that strengthens fungal walls

What do all biological membranes contain?

• phospholipids

• cholesterol

What macromolecule monomer has a carboxyl group?

fatty acid

What macromolecule monomer has an amino group?

amino acid