2.2: Macromolecules

2.2.1 Chemical Substances - Advanced

• Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur all can form countless combinations of organic compounds

• A chemical substance is a material that has a definite chemical composition

• 118 known elements

  • The majority of these elements are metals

• Atoms in chemical compounds are held together by chemical bonds

• Mixtures: No fixed chemical composition

2.2.2 The Significance of Carbon - Advanced

• Carbon is the central element in compounds necessary for life

• Carbon can bond with a wide range of different elements

• Can form carbon-containing compounds which are the basis of all known organic life

2.2.3 Carbohydrates - Advanced

• Organic compounds that contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen

• Two monosaccharides = One disaccharide

• Oligosaccharide = 2-10 monosaccharides

• Polysaccharide = Long carbohydrate molecules

2.2.4 Lipids - Advanced

• Organic compounds that contain mostly carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen

• Fatty acids can be saturated or unsaturated

• Triglycerides are commonly called fat

• Phospholipids are major components of cell membranes

• Steroids such as testosterone and estrogen are proteins

• Lipids store energy and form cell membranes

2.2.5 Proteins - Advanced

• Proteins have many important roles and functions

• Proteins are made of amino acids

• Proteins are chains of amino acids which are bonded together via a peptide bond, forming peptide bonds and longer chains called polypeptides

• Polypeptides may have as few as 40 amino acids or as many as several thousand

• Proteins can form antibodies that protect your body against pathogens

• Proteins are extremely important for your everyday life and diet

• Arginine, cysteine, glycine, glutamine, histidine, proline, serine, and tyrosine are not normally required in the diet but some people do not produce them at all

2.2.6 Nucleic Acids - Advanced

• Nucleic acids are the instructions or blueprints of life

• Examples include deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA)

• Must contain a base (containing nitrogen), a sugar (ribose in RNA and deoxyribose in DNA), and a phosphate group (containing phosphorus)

• Letters are combined to form "words" of genetic code

• ATP is energy nucleic acid which is produced by your cells to give you energy