Carbon Compounds ~ The building blocks of cells!

1
Carbon Compounds The building
blocks of cells!
2
Building Blocks of Cells

• The parts of a cell are made up of large, complex
  molecules, often called biomolecules.
• Large, complex biomolecules are built from a few
  smaller, simpler, repeating units arranged in an
  extremely precise way. (like little legos)
• The basic unit of most biomolecules contain atoms
  of carbon. Carbon atoms can form covalent bonds
  with as many as four other atoms.

3
Carbon Bonding
4
Carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates are molecules made of sugars.
• A sugar contains carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in
  a ratio of 121.
• Glucose is a common sugar found in grape juice.

5
Carbohydrates, continued

• Glucose is a monosaccharide, or single sugar.
• Two sugars can be linked to make a disaccharide.
• Many sugars can be linked to make a
  polysaccharide.
• Monosaccharides and disaccharides are considered
  simple carbohydrates. Polysaccharides are
  considered complex carbohydrates.

6
Carbohydrates, continued

• Cells use carbohydrates for 1. sources of energy,
  2. structural materials, and 3.
  cellular identification.
• Carbohydrates are a major source of energy for
  many organisms, including humans.
• Chitin and cellulose are complex carbohydrates
  that provide support (structural).
• Chitin is found in the shells of insects and the
  cell walls of mushrooms. Cellulose is found in
  the cell walls of plants.

7
Lipids

• Lipids are another class of biomolecules, which
  includes fats, phospholipids, steroids, and
  waxes.
• Lipids consist of chains of carbon atoms bonded
  to each other and to hydrogen atoms. This
  structure makes lipids repel water.
• The main functions of lipids include 1. storing
  energy and 2. controlling water molecules.

8
Lipids, continued

• The main purpose of fats is to store energy.
• Fats can store energy even more efficiently than
  carbohydrates.
• The cells boundary is made of phospholipids. The
  structure of cell membranes depends on how this
  molecule interacts with water.
• Waxes, found on the surfaces of plants and
  aquatic bird feathers, help prevent evaporation
  of water from the cells of the organism.

9
Obesity Study in Mice

• Lipids(red) in a regular Lipids in a
  mouse
• mouse with the gene that turns
  bad carbs into fat disabled(off)

10
(No Transcript)
11
Proteins

• Proteins are chains of amino acids that twist and
  fold into certain shapes that determine what the
  proteins do.
• There are many types of proteins that perform
  many types of functions.
• Proteins may be involved in structure, support,
  movement, communication, transportation, and
  carrying out chemical reactions.

12

• Amino Acids
• A protein is a molecule made up of amino acids,
  building blocks that link to form proteins.
• Every amino acid has an amino group and a
  carboxyl group. Units of amino acids can form
  links called peptide bonds.
• The side group gives an amino acid its unique
  properties. Twenty different amino acids are
  found in proteins.
• For each type of protein, amino acids are
  arranged in a specific order, the proteins
  primary structure.
• The interactions of the various side groups may
  form coils and folds, the proteins secondary
  structure.

13
Protein being made with mRNA and transfer RNA.
14
Nucleic Acids

• A nucleic acid is a long chain of nucleotide
  units.
• A nucleotide is a molecule made up of three
  parts a sugar, a base, and a phosphate group.
• Nucleotides of deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA,
  contain the sugar deoxyribose.
• Nucleotides of ribonucleic acid, or RNA, contain
  the sugar ribose.

15

• Nucleotide
• Phosphate
• Sugar
• Base

16

• DNA
• Inside of a
• Chromosome
• RNA helps
• decode DNA
• and make
• proteins.

17
Nucleic Acids, continued

• Hereditary Information
• DNA molecules act as instructions for the
  processes of an organisms life.
• DNA consists of two strands of nucleotides that
  spiral around each other.
• RNA also interacts with DNA to help decode the
  information and build proteins.
• Nucleic acids store and transmit hereditary
  information.

18
Nucleic Acids, continued

• Energy Carriers
• Some single nucleotides have other important
  roles.
• Adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, is a nucleotide
  that has three phosphate groups and supplies
  energy to cells.
• Energy is released in the reaction that breaks
  off the third phosphate group.
• Other single nucleotides transfer electrons or
  hydrogen atoms for other life processes.

19
(No Transcript)
20
Summary

• Large, complex biomolecules are built from a few
  smaller, simpler, repeating units arranged in an
  extremely precise way.
• Cells use carbohydrates for sources of energy,
  structural materials, and cellular
  identification.
• The main functions of lipids include storing
  energy and controlling water movement

21
Summary, continued

• Proteins are chains of amino acids that twist and
  fold into shapes that determine what the protein
  does.
• Nucleic acids store and transmit hereditary
  information.