Chemistry of Life

You need to know a small amount of

chemistry to understand biology!
 Why do we need to know a small
amount of chemistry?
• To understand why think of some of the characteristics
of living organisms e.g.

• They reproduce.

• They grow.

• They can move

 Still don’t get it!
• In order to grow, reproduce or move etc, the
organism needs a supply of:

• Energy (batteries or mains adapter no use.)

• Building materials (no not MDF!)

Guess what organisms use to generate
energy and as building materials?

Chemicals
 Important Biological
Compounds
1. Carbohydrates
2. Lipids
3. Proteins
4. Nucleic Acids
5. Vitamins
6. Minerals
 Molecules of Life
• The chemistry of carbon accounts for the
chemistry of organic compounds.
– Organic compounds contain carbon and hydrogen atoms

• Macromolecules = polymers that arise when their

specific monomers (unit molecules) are joined
together.
– Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic
acids are macromolecules with specific
functions in cells.
 Carbohydrates
• Carbohydrates often function as a
ready source of energy in most
organisms.

• Glucose is a simple, six-carbon

sugar (carbohydrate monomer) most
utilized by cells for "quick" energy.

• Cn(H2O)n
 Carbohydrates
• Carbohydrates also form major
structural components in plants
and insects.

• Cellulose, lignin, chitin etc.

etc
 3 Types of Carbohydrates
1. Monosaccharides

2. Disaccharides

3. Polysaccharides
Hexoses i.e.,
they all contain
6 carbon atoms
 Carbohydrate Synthesis and
Break Down
• Condensation synthesis forms carbohydrate
polymers from two or more sugar monomers
• Hydrolysis reaction splits bonds to form smaller
molecules.

• Plants store glucose as starch, and animals store

glucose as glycogen.
– These compounds are polymers of glucose.
Cellulose is a indigestible plant carbohydrate
 Functions of carbohydrates

• As a source of energy

• As a building material

• Signalling function.
 Lipids
• Lipids (triglycerides, phospholipids, &
sterols) are varied in structure and
function
– Most lipids are not soluble (don’t dissolve) in H2O

• Fats and oils (triglycerides) are used

for long-term energy storage
– Triglycerides have glycerol & 3 fatty acids
• Fatty acids can be saturated (no double bonds) or unsaturated
(one or more carbon-carbon double bond) .
 Fatty acids
• Fatty acids (FAs) are aliphatic molecules with a carboxyl
group at one end.

20 not 18
 Saturated vs. unsaturated FAs

• Saturated FAs are solid at room temperature.

• Unsaturated FAs are ‘liquid’ at room temperature

A Triglyceride
 Lipids: Phospholipids
• Plasma membranes contain phospholipids
that have a polarized end.
• Phospholipids are composed of glycerol,
fatty acids, and a phosphate group
(charged = “polarized”).
• The phosphate group end of phospholipids is
soluble in water
 Lipids: Sterols
• Steroids (sterols) are lipids, but with a
very different structure.
– Cholesterol, a complex ring compound, is
a steroid.
• Certain steroid hormones (including
sex hormones) are derived from
cholesterol.
• Cholesterol is also an important
component of cell membranes.
 Functions of lipids
• Energy storage molecules

• Insulation

• Signalling

• Cushioning
 Proteins: Consist of
Amino Acids
• Proteins help form structures (e.g., muscles and
membranes) or function as enzymes.

• The primary structure of a polypeptide (a

polymer) is the sequence of amino acids
(monomers) that comprise it.
– There are 20 possible types of amino acids that
are the building blocks of proteins.
 Functions of amino acids

• The building blocks of proteins.

• Neurotransmitters (e.g. dopamine [from tyrosine])

• Protection (e.g. histamine [from histidine])

 Protein Structure
• Secondary structure:
– Formed by hydrogen bonds between non-adjacent
amino acids
– Often an alpha (a) helix or a beta (ß) pleated sheet.
• Tertiary structure:
– When a polypeptide bends and twists into a 3-D
shape due to covalent bonds between amino acids
in certain regions of the polypeptide.
• Quaternary structure:
– When a protein contains several polypeptides.
Bonds involved in maintaining the
tertiary structure of a protein
 Functions

• Structural (e.g. hair, fingernails, claws etc)

• Signalling/information (e.g. hormones)
• Transport (e.g. haemoglobin, serum albumin)
• Protective (e.g. antibodies, lysozyme [an enzyme])
• Movement (e.g. muscle)
• Catalysis (e.g. enzymes)
 For more information on proteins
visit:

http://fajerpc.magnet.fsu.edu/Education/2010/Lectures/10_Proteins.htm
 Nucleic Acids
• Nucleic acids are polymers of
nucleotides.
• Each nucleotide has 3 components: a
sugar, a base, and phosphate group
(phosphoric acid).
• DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
• RNA (ribonucleic acid)
Ribose
 Nucleic Acids - DNA

– Contains the sugar

ribose
– Contains the bases
adenine, thymine,
guanine and cytosine
– Very large molecule
– Double stranded
 Nucleic Acids - RNA
– Contains the sugar
deoxyribose
– Contains the bases
adenine, uracil, guanine
and cytosine
– Not as large as DNA
– Double stranded

http://165.134.116.28/301/origin/RNA.jpg
 Functions of nucleic acids

• DNA – stores genetic information.

• RNA – structural, recognition & transport

 Nucleotides
• ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is the
energy currency of cells.
– Its unstable phosphate bonds can be
easily broken, releasing energy
= Hydrolysis of ATP to ADP (adenosine
diphosphate) + Pi (inorganic phosphate)
releases energy that is used by cells to do
metabolic work.
 Others

• Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)

• Flavine adenine dinucleotide (FAD)

• NAD and FAD can carry high-energy electrons