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The Molecules of Life. – The rest of the cell consists mostly of carbon-
based molecules.
Sugars, proteins, fats & – Organic chemistry is the study of carbon
compounds.
nucleic acids
PowerPoint® Lectures for
Essential Biology, Third Edition
– Neil Campbell, Jane Reece, and Eric Simon
Essential Biology with Physiology, Second Edition
– Neil Campbell, Jane Reece, and Eric Simon
Carbon Chemistry
• Carbon is a versatile atom.
– It has four electrons in an outer shell that holds
eight.
Figure 3.2
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Figure 3.3
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Larger hydrocarbons are the main molecules in the gasoline we burn
in our cars.
• Each type of organic molecule has a unique three-
The hydrocarbons of fat molecules provide energy for our bodies.
dimensional shape that defines its function in an
organism.
– The molecules of your body recognize one
another based on their shapes.
Figure 3.4
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Figure 3.5
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Biological Molecules Carbohydrates
• There are four categories of large molecules in • Carbohydrates include:
cells:
– Small sugar molecules in soft drinks
– Carbohydrates
– Long starch molecules in pasta and potatoes
– Lipids
– Monosaccharides
– Proteins
• Monosaccharides are simple sugars.
– Nucleic acids
– Glucose is found in sports drinks.
Figure 3.8
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Figure 3.9
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• Lactose is another type of disaccharide.
– Some people have trouble digesting lactose, a
condition called lactose intolerance.
Polysaccharides
Complex carbohydrates are called polysaccharides. They are long
chains of sugar units. They are polymers of monosaccharides. • One familiar example of a polysaccharide is starch.
– Plant cells store starch for energy.
– Potatoes and grains are major sources of starch in
the human diet.
Figure 3.13
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• Cellulose is the most abundant organic compound • Most animals cannot derive nutrition from fiber.
on Earth.
– Grazing animals survive on a diet of cellulose
– It forms cable-like fibrils in the tough walls that because they have prokaryotes in their digestive
enclose plants. tracts that can break down cellulose.
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Lipids Lipids are hydrophobic.
They do not mix with water.
• Simple sugars and double sugars dissolve readily in Examples: fats and steroids
water.
Fats Dietary fat consists largely of the molecule triglyceride.
– They are hydrophilic, or “water-loving.”
Triglyceride is a combination of glycerol and three fatty acids.
Figure 3.15a
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Steroids
• Steroids are very different from fats in structure
and function.
– The carbon skeleton is bent to form four fused
rings.
Figure 3.17
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Proteins
• Synthetic anabolic steroids are controversial. • A protein is a polymer constructed from amino acid
monomers.
– They are variants of testosterone.
• Proteins perform most of the tasks the body needs
to function.
• Some athletes use anabolic steroids to build up
their muscles quickly. Structural Proteins Receptor Proteins
Storage Proteins Enzymes
– However, these substances can pose serious
health risks. Contractile Proteins Hormonal Proteins
Transport Proteins Sensory Proteins
Figure 3.20
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Proteins as Polymers
• Cells link amino acids together by dehydration
reactions.
– The resulting bond between them is called a
peptide bond.
Figure 3.21
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• Your body has tens of thousands of different kinds • A slight change in the primary structure of a
of protein. protein affects its ability to function.
– The arrangement of amino acids makes each one – The substitution of one amino acid for another in
different. hemoglobin causes sickle-cell disease.
• Primary structure
– The specific sequence of amino acids in a protein
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Protein Shape
• Proteins have four levels of structure.
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What Determines Protein Structure?
• A protein’s shape is sensitive to the surrounding
environment.
– Unfavorable temperature and pH changes can
cause a protein to unravel and lose its shape.
– This is called denaturation.
Figure 3.24
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Nucleic Acids
• Nucleic acids are information storage molecules.
– They provide the directions for building proteins.
– Guanine (G)
– Thymine (T)
– Cytosine (C)
Figure 3.26
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• Nucleotide monomers are linked into long chains.
– These chains are called polynucleotides, or DNA
strands.
Figure 3.27
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Figure 3.28b
Figure 3.28a
Figure 3.29
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Figure 3.30
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