Biochemistry (151)

1) Biomolecules - What are the biomolecules? - biomolecules are made up mostly of 11 elements (see Table 3.1) - there are 4 major classes of biomolecules - all four groups have unique building blocks that can be assembled together in different ways to make larger, more complex molecules - the building blocks are referred to as monomers - chains of monomers are called polymers 2) Carbohydrates - What are carbohydrates - biomolecules where the monomers contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen - importantly, they are present in a C(H2O)n ratio - they are also called saccharides (often end in ose) - monosaccharides have anywhere from 3-7 carbons - these form a single ring structure (the monomer) - examples include glucose, fructose, ribose and galactose - monosaccharides are commonly referred to as simple sugars - disaccharides are two monosaccharide rings connected together by a covalent bond - examples include lactose, maltose and sucrose - polysaccharides are 10 or more sugar rings joined together, often forming large chains - examples include cellulose, glycogen and starch - these are commonly called complex carbohydrates - How are larger saccharides constructed from the smaller monomer units? - removing a H2O can join carbohydrate units (dehydration synthesis) - similarly, addition of H2O can break apart units - What functions do carbohydrates perform? - they are mainly used as sources of energy, but also work as ID tags on cells, and can be structural as well (cellulose) 3) Lipids - What are lipids? - large, non-polar compounds used for storage - like carbohydrates, they contain C, H and O - however, they have much more carbon and hydrogen,

making them rich in non-polar bonds - they include fats, oils, waxes, cholesterol, etc - fats, oils and waxes are composed of triglycerides - 3 fatty acids joined to a molecule of glycerol - saturated fatty acids contain no double bonds - unsaturated fatty acids have at least one double bond - this is why fats are solid at room temperature, while oils are liquid; saturated fats can pack more efficiently because there are no double bonds to create kinks - trans fats are unique unsaturated fats that do not kink - Are there other lipids besides triglycerides? - another large group of lipids is the sterols - they are composed of 4 fused carbon rings - they are also primarily carbon and hydrogen, so they are hydrophobic - cholesterol is a familiar sterol - What are the functions of lipids? - functions include energy (especially storage), signaling, insulation, lubrication, and structural (especially in cell membranes) - gram for gram, lipids store more energy than carbohydrates - analogy: $5 vs. $10 4) Proteins - What are proteins? - made up of only 20 different amino acids, which connect to form chains called peptides - amino acids have an amino group, a carboxylic acid group, and a central carbon with one of 20 different possible side groups present - again, dehydration synthesis is used to form these chains - the polypeptide chain is called the proteins primary structure - there are 4 levels of structure in a protein - What are the different levels of structure in a protein? a) Primary: amino acid chain b) Secondary: specific 3-D structures - alpha helix; beta sheets c) Tertiary: overall polypeptide 3-D structure d) Quaternary: multiple peptide chains interact to form a functional protein - not all functional proteins reach this level of structure - amino acid sequence determines the proteins conformation - conformation (structure) determines the function

DEMONSTRATION: TANGLE 5) Nucleic Acids - What are nucleic acids? - make up DNA, the codes for making proteins, and RNA - consist of repeating units called nucleotides - nucleotides are a phosphate group, a sugar, and one of only four different nitrogenous bases - like other biomolecules, these building blocks are connected to form larger molecules called strands