Download Organic Macromolecules

The Chemicals of Life
 Organic molecules contain carbon-carbon bonds,
and are usually found in living things.
 Because of its atomic structure, carbon bonds
easily with other carbon atoms, and many other
substances
 Carbon can form single bonds (one electron is
shared), double bonds (two electrons are shared),
or triple bonds (three electrons are shared)
 Carbon can form straight
chains, branched chains,
or rings; many different
compounds are possible
 A polymer is a large
molecule made of many
small molecules
(monomers)
 Isomers are molecules
with the same chemical
formula(C6H12O6), but
different structures
 Macromolecule=Large molecule or polymer
 Four main types of organic macromolecules
are required for all living things
 Carbohydrates
 Lipids
 Proteins
 Nucleic Acids
 Monomer=Glucose
(monosaccharide)
 Carbohydrates are used for a
quick energy source
(glucose) or cell walls of
plants (cellulose)
 Ex.:Polysaccharides
(starch,glycogen, cellulose),
disaccharides
(sucrose),monosaccharide
(glucose)
 Monomer=Fatty Acid
 Cells use lipids for energy
storage, insulation, cell
membranes, protective
coatings
 Examples include
saturated and
unsaturated fats, oils,
waxes
 Also called polypeptides
 Monomer=Amino Acids;
there are 20 different
amino acids, held
together by peptide
bonds
 Used for building
structures (skin,
muscles)or speeding up
chemical reactions
(enzymes)
 Ex.: keratin (hair, nails,
skin), actin and myosin
(muscles), meat
 Enzymes are a special kind of protein that act as a
catalyst (speed up chemical reactions)
 They speed up reactions by lowering the activation
energy (the amount of energy needed to start a
chemical reaction)
 Ex.: Amylase (enzyme in saliva that breaks down
starch, or amylose), Lactase (enzyme that breaks
down lactose)
 Monomer=Nucleotide
(made of a phosphate,
sugar, nitrogen base)
 Only two types: DNA
(deoxyribonucleic acid)
and RNA (ribonucleic
acid)
 Stores instructions for
cellular functions and
contains genetic
information