Unit 1 Chemistry of Life AP Bio

Minus the super obvious stuff Chemistry of life minus the chemistry

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates

• monosaccharides/simple sugars (isomers glucose and fructose)

• disaccharides (lactose, maltose, sucrose)

• All monosaccharides exist in a ratio of 1C:2O:1H, others almost

• Starch (plants) and glycogen (animals) are energy-storage polysaccharides

• Cellulose (plants) and chitin (arthropods) are structural support polysaccharides

Fats/triglycerides

• Made of one glycerol molecule and 3 fatty acid molecules and

• Formed through dehydration reactions

Lipids

Great for storage, protection of vital organs, and insulation (make up cell membranes)

Steroids

• Lipids made of 4 rings fused together

• Cholesterol of cell membranes, estrogen and testosterone as hormones

Fats/Triglycerides

• Triglycerides are made of one glycerol molecule and 3 fatty acid molecules and formed through dehydration reactions

Saturated fatty acids

• have no double bonds between Cs

• tend to pack solidly at room temp

• are linked to cardiovascular disease

• commonly produced by animals

Unsaturated fatty acids

• Have some C=C (C double bonds), resulting in kinks

• tend to be liquid at room temp

• commonly produced by plants

Amino acids

• Central carbon bonded to a carboxyl group (COOH), an amino group (NH2), a hydrogen atom, and an R group side chain

• Peptide bonds link them and are formed by dehydration synthesis between amino and carboxyl groups of adjacent monomers

Primary structure

Unique amino acid chain sequence

Secondary structure

3D shape as a result of hydrogen bonding between members of the polypeptide backbone (either alpha helix or beta pleated sheet)

Tertiary structure

Complex globular shape due to interactions between side chains, such as hydrophobic interactions, van der Waals interactions, hydrogen bonds, and disulfide bridges

Quaternary structure

Multiple polypeptide chains associated into one large protein (hemoglobin has 4)

Nucleotides

• Made of a Nitrogenous base (adenine, cytosine, guanine, and uracil in RNA or thymine in DNA), pentose (5-carbon sugar - ribose/deoxyribose), and a phosphate group

• phosphate group in DNA/RNA attaches to 5’C in pentose

• Nucleotides are added only to 3’ end