Chemicals of Life

Organic vs Inorganic
Organic compounds are compounds made of carbons.
Almost all organic compounds also have Carbon-Hydrogen bonds.

Inorganic compounds are compounds that do not contain carbon in their

structure

Examples
Organic Inorganic

Minerals
Group of inorganic elements essential for normal body function. Split into two groups depending on amount needed for survival
Trace minerals: Iodine, zinc, fluorine, manganese, chromium, iron, etc.

Major minerals: Calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium, and chlorine

Many minerals are important enzyme function (Co-factors)

Example: Mitochondria need Magnesium to split the enzyme ATP and make energy.

Major minerals
BONE BUILDERS
Calcium
Needed for nerve and muscle function

Phosphorus
An ingredient in ATP (Adenosine Tri-Phosphate)

HOMEOSTASIS GUARDIANS
Sodium, Pottasium, and Chloride


Trace minerals through peppers and tomatoes

Calcium-rich foods

Phosphorous-rich foods

Water

Does not contain Carbon, so it is not a organic/biological compound
Life cannot exist without water Essential part of the cytoplasm

Slightly polar molecule Because of negative pull of Oxygen atom

Water Molecule

4 Traits of Water

High Heat Capacity
Dense liquid, less dense solid Cohesive and Adhesive Forces

Great Solvent

High Heat Capacity

Heat capacity- ability of a substance to absorb heat without becoming hot
itself.

Water has a high Heat Capacity because the rise in temperature has to break
many Hydrogen-Oxygen bonds. Only when the bonds are broken can the separate molecules move around. The more molecules moving around, the hotter water gets

Dense as a Liquid
Ice is less dense than water because Ice molecules are immobile and in place
Because thy are immobile, they cannot interact with different water molecules around
them, because the other molecules are spread out.

Liquid water molecules are very mobile

Different water molecules in liquid form are always in contact with all their surrounding
water molecules, so they are not spread out.

Being less spread out and always moving makes liquid water more dense than
ice.

Cohesion and Adhesion in Water Molecules

Cohesion- Hydrogen-Hydrogen bonds between water molecules.

Helps make liquid water more dense than ice. (Constant cohesion with different water molecules)

Also causes Surface Tension

The surface of liquid water is not easily breakable.

Adhesion- bonds between water molecules and other molecules.

Example- water moving up the xylem column of a plant
Xylem column made up of xylem root cells

Water is a great solvent

Solvent- something that a substance can be dissolved in. Example- Sugar dissolves in hot water (solvent) Salt (Na+Cl-) dissolves in water easily because the separate parts of salt
(Sodium and Chloride) get separated and surrounded by polar water molecules, which stop them from getting back together and making salt.

Waters Use in living organisms

High Heat capacity
Absorbs heat created by cells
Water in cytoplasm, blood

A lot of energy needed to evaporate water

Makes water ideal (perfect) for cooling down animals through sweat

Organic Compounds
Non-biological organic compounds
Not needed for life Coal, benzene, etc.

Biological organic compounds

Needed for living things to function ( Each group below has distinct functional
groups- group of atoms attached to the carbon skeleton)

Carbohydrates ( Proteins Lipids Nucleic Acids

Carbohydrates
Biological molecules that contain carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. Can be divided into 3 groups
Monosaccharides

Disaccharides
Polysaccharides

Monosaccharides
Very simple carbohydrates
Cannot be broken down into simpler forms

Most common simple sugars

Glucose- most common simple sugar. Necessary for human survival
Fructose- the sweetest of the simple sugars Galactose- found in milk

Disaccharides

Two different monosaccharides joined together
Maltose (glucose+glucose) Germinating seeds Lactose (glucose+galactose) Milk

Sucrose, i.e. our sugar (glucose+fructose) Sugar Cane

Polysaccharides

Long chains or (polymers) of monosaccharides.
Also called complex carbohydrates Most common carbohydrates found in nature

Have 2 functions: Store carbohydrates for future use (storage polysaccharides) Provide structural support (structural polysaccharides)

Storage Polysaccharides
Starch- Polymer of glucose molecules Stored in plastids of plant cells.
Mainly roots and seeds

Can be 1 long, straight linear polymer, or a branched polymer. Glycogen- another polymer of glucose, primary source carbs in animals.
Stored in the liver and skeletal muscles of vertebrate animals.

Structural Polysaccharides
Cellulose- Most well-known structural polysaccharide
Most abundant organic compound on Earth Made up of glucose molecules linked together to make long fibrils.

Animals cannot break up cellulose.

So when animals eat food containing cellulose, it passes through our body undigsted. Cellulose fibers help in waste removement from the body (helps you use the bathroom
better)