2.

1 Molecules to Metabolism
Essential Idea: Living organisms control their composition by
complex web of chemical reactions.

-Molecular Biology is the study of biology at the molecular level (eg: atoms
and molecules)
-closely related to biochemistry and genetics
-helps to explain biological processes in terms of the chemical substances
involved

-In the 1720s urea was discovered

-a prevailing thought called vitalism existed back then
-It stated that in order to make compounds found in living things a life
force is necessary
-this life force is different from chemical/physical forces

-In 1828 German scientist Friedrich Whler synthesized urea for the first
time, using silver isocyanate and ammonium chloride
-no life force involved, causing vitalism to be questioned and eventually
discredited
-We now accept that biological molecules are synthesized using the same
processes found in chemistry
-Molecular Biology becomes increasingly important with the discovery of DNA
in the 1950s
-biologists interacted in DNA, RNA, protein synthesis and how these
processes are regulated

Life is based on Carbon Compounds

-Carbon is found in all organic compounds and is the basic element in the
chemistry of life
-it can form 4 covalent bonds; can be single/double/triple
-this can lead to very complex molecules like rings structure and very long
chained molecules
-In living things, carbon is commonly bonded with other carbons, but also P,
H, O, and N

Types of Carbon Compounds

-Carbohydrates:
-basic combination of CH2O
-sugars are common carbohydrates

-Lipids:
-diverse class of molecules
-insoluble in water
-eg: steroids, fatty acids

-Proteins:
-made up of 1 or more amino acids in a chain
-all contain C, H, O, and N
-eg: Keratin

-Nucleic Acids:
-made up of molecules called nucleotides

-contains C, H, O, N, P
-2 types : DNA and RNA

-Interactions of these molecules in living things lead to:

Metabolism
-Metabolism is the web of all enzyme-catalyzed reactions in a cell or
organism
-in other words the sum of all the different chemical reactions that occur in
an organism
-Metabolic pathways involve molecules being changed or transformed into
other molecules through a series of stems
Initial substrate intermediate molecule intermediate molecule final
product
-Chain reactions are reactions which start off with an initial substrate,
finishes with an end substrate (could be the same molecule as the initial
substrate), and producing the product along the pathway

The 2 Main Types of Metabolism

Anabolism:
-Synthesis of complex molecules from simpler ones
-Macromolecules (such as carbohydrates) are made from simpler molecule
subunits called monomers
-this process involves energy (in the form of ATP); this process is called
condensation because water molecules are produced

Catabolism:
-Breakdown of complex molecules into simpler ones
-Breakdown of macromolecules into monomers through the process of
hydrolysis (involves the splitting of water added to the process)

-Usually releases energy that can be stored as ATP and used for other cell
processes
-eg: the breakdown of glucose into carbon dioxide and water during cell
respiration