Biochem

Organic Molecules

-Organic means it contains carbon

-All living things have carbon

-Carbon is a good base for building molecules because it can form covalent bonds with up to 4 other atoms, can for chains or rings with single, double or triple bonds

These are examples of molecules with carbon

The 4 Organic Compounds

  1. Carbohydrates

  2. Lipids

  3. Nucleic Acids

  4. Proteins

Monomer-Small molecules that can be linked together

Polymer-Many monomers that are joined together

CARBOHYDRATES

Monomer: Monosaccharide (simple sugar, names end in -ose, Ex. Glucose Galactose and Fructose)

Polymer: Polysaccharide (aka the carbohydrate, made of many of the sugars linked together, Ex. Starch Glycogen and Cellulose)

Disaccharide: Made of two sugars linked together (Ex. Sucrose and Lactose)

Functions:

  1. Short term energy (The main source of energy for cells)

  2. Structural components of cells (Ex. Cellulose aka plant cell walls and Chitin aka exoskeletons of insects, crustaceans and cell wall of fungi)

Structure

-Shape

  • Hexagons and pentagons

-Elements

  • Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen (In the ratio 1:2:1)

Types of Carbohydrate Polymers

-Starch, the chain of glucose made by plants to store energy

-Glycogen, a chain of glucose made by animals to store excess glucose after a meal

-Cellulose, A chain of glucose hooked together like a chained link fence made by plants to form the cell wall

Food Sources

  • Grains

  • Potatoes

  • Bread

  • Pasta

LIPIDS

-Made of mostly Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen (Mostly C and H)

Major Functions

-Long term energy

-Insulation

-Waterproof coverings

Lipids are non-polar and do not dissolve in water

Monomer: Fatty acid (single chain of CH)

Polymer: Triglyceride (aka a lipid structured like 3 fatty acids connected to a glycerol)

Types of Fats

Saturated: Straight, single bonds between carbons, solid at room temperature (Ex. Steak fat or butter)

Unsaturated: Kinked, double bond between carbons, liquid at room temperature