Chemistry of Life

1
 What organic molecules
(macromolecules) are found in
living organisms?
2.4 Carbohydrates
2.5 Lipids
2.6 Proteins
2.7 Nucleic acids

2
2.4 Carbohydrates

1. What are carbohydrates?

• Made of subunits called monosaccharides

• Made of C, H, and O in which the H and O

atoms are in a 2:1 ratio

• Function as short- and long-term energy

storage

• Found as simple and complex forms

3
2.4 Carbohydrates

What are simple carbohydrates?

• Monosaccharide –
1 carbon ring as 6
CH2OH CH2OH

5 C O O O

found in glucose H

H
H H H

C C
4 1
O H H OH H

H O O H HO OH
C C
3 2

H O H H O H

C6H12O6

• Disaccharide –
CH2OH CH2OH
2 carbon rings as
found in maltose O O

maltose C12H22O11
Figure 2.12 The synthesis and breakdown of a disaccharide.
4
2.4 Carbohydrates

What are complex carbohydrates?

• Polysaccharides are H
CH2OH
O
H H
CH2OH
O
H H
CH2OH
O
H H
CH2OH
O
H

made of many carbon

H H H H
OH H OH H OH H OH H
O O O O O

rings. H OH H OH H OH H OH

• Glycogen is the
storage form in
branched

animals. nonbranched

• Starch is the storage

form in plants.
starch
granule

cell wall

potato cells
© Jeremy Burgess/SPL/Science Source

Figure 2.13 Starch is a plant complex carbohydrate.

5
2.5 Lipids

2. What are lipids?

• Molecules that do not dissolve in water

• Used as energy molecules

• Found in cell membranes

• Found as fats and oils, phospholipids, and

steroids

6
 3. What are proteins?
• Proteins are macromolecules with amino
acid subunits.

7
 Peptides
•A peptide is composed of two amino acids
linked by a peptide bond.

•When three or more amino acids are linked

by peptide bonds, the chain that results is
called a polypeptide

8
 Function of Protein
• Support: keratin and collagen are structural proteins
• Hormones: insulin, growth hormone that serve as
intercellular messengers that influence the
metabolism of cells.
• Enzymes: Speed up chemical reactions.
• Defense: Antibodies
• Motion: actin and myosin help in the cell movement
and muscle contraction.
• Transport: hemoglobin is a molecule in blood help
transport oxygen.

9
 4. What are nucleic acids?
• Nucleic acids are macromolecules
composed of nucleotides.

• Nucleotides are composed of a sugar, a

base, and a phosphate. DNA and RNA are
polymers of nucleotides.

10
2.7 Nucleic Acids

The 3 parts of a nucleotide

nitrogen-
phosphate C containing
P
base

5' O

Nucleotide 4' S 1'

3' 2'
sugar
11
 ATP is the universal energy
currency of cells
ATP undergoes hydrolysis to ADP (adenosine
diphosphate) + P, which releases energy
used by cells to do metabolic work.

12
Summary of the macromolecules
Organic
Examples Monomers Functions
molecules

CH2OH
O Immediate
H H energy
Monosaccharides,
and stored
Carbohydrates disaccharides, OH H
energy;
polysaccharides HO OH
structural
H OH molecules
Glucose

H O H H H H H
Long-term
H C OH C C C C C C R
Fats, oils, HO
energy
H C OH H H H H H
Lipids phospholipids, storage;
H C OH
Fatty acid membrane
steroids H

Glycerol components

amino H acid
group group
Structural, H2N C Support,
COOH
enzymatic, metabolic,
Proteins carrier, transport,
hormonal, R regulation,
contractile group motion

Amino acid

phosphate base
P C
Storage of
Nucleic acids DNA, RNA O
genetic
S information

Nucleotide 13