Notes: Chemical Constituents of Cells

Use page 39-46 of your textbook.

Organic compounds - ​Those that contain both Carbon and Hydrogen Atoms

Inorganic compounds -​Dissolves in water or reacts with water to release ions

Electrolytes -​ absorption in the large intestine

Nonelectrolytes –​a substance that does not dissociate into ions when dissolved

Inorganic Substances in Function /

Cells Description

Water Moves chemicals

within the body.
Solvent - water is a solvent
because of many substances
readily dissolve in it

Solute -

Oxygen red blood cells bind

and carry oxygen.
enter the body through
oxygen is used to
respiratory organs and are
release energy from
transported throughout the
the sugar glucose and
body by the blood
other nutrients

Carbon Dioxide produced as a waste

product when certain
A simple, carbon-containing
metabolic processes
compound of the inorganic
release energy
group. It is produced as a
waste product when certain
metabolic processes release
energy, and it is exhaled
from the lungs

Salts provide many ions

and including sodium,
A salt is a compound
chloride, potassium,
composed of
calcium, magnesium,
oppositely-charged ions,
phosphate, carbonate,
such as sodium and
bicarbonate
chloride, which is the
familiar table salt. Salts are
abundant in tissues and
fluids. They proved
necessary ions

Organic Substances in Function /

Cells Description

Carbohydrates a. build blocks of

more complex
a. Monosaccharides
carbohydrates
simple sugars molecules
b. molecules
b. Disaccharides contain two
double sugars simple sugar
building
c. Polysaccharides blocks
c. made up of
simple sugars that unit
many simple
sugars units
joined

Lipids a. supply more

energy, gram
a. Fats
for gram, than
adipose tissue; contains carbohydrate
glycerol and fatty acids molecules
 b. Phospholipid b. forms the
“head” of the
similar to a fat molecule
molecule,
contains a glycerol portion
while the fatty
a fatty acid chains
acid portion is
c. Steroid insoluble in
water and
complex structures that forms a tail
include four connected c. in all body
rings of carbon atoms cells and is
used to
synthesize
other steroids

Proteins bond to particular

kinds of molecules
Proteins have a wide
variety of functions in the
body. Many serve as
structural materials,
Energy sources, or
hormones. Proteins called
antibodies to detect and
destroy foreign substances
in the body

Nucleic Acid contain atoms of

carbon, hydrogen,
A molecule composed of
oxygen, nitrogen, and
bonded nucleotides
phosphorus, which
form building blocks