CHEMISTRY for

BIOLOGY

19 Aug. 2009 Chemistry.ppt 1

 CHEMISTRY for BIOLOGY

• Atomic structure, ionic bonding previously

studied. Review in text if necessary.

19 Aug. 2009 Chemistry.ppt 2

 CHNOPS

19 Aug. 2009 Chemistry.ppt 3

 CHNOPS
• CHNOPS elements usually form covalent
bonds.
• Electrons shared  stability

19 Aug. 2009 Chemistry.ppt 4

 Examples of covalent bonding

19 Aug. 2009 Chemistry.ppt 5

 Carbon
• Carbon atoms form covalent bonds to carbon
atoms.
• Carbon chains form "backbones" of organic
molecules.
– Various lengths
– "Functional groups" may be attached to
carbon chains.
• determine properties of molecules
• cause diversity of organic molecules

19 Aug. 2009 Chemistry.ppt 6

 "Functional groups:"
4 to know

19 Aug. 2009 Chemistry.ppt 7

 "Functional groups"
• Any or all functional groups may be
attached to a carbon backbone to make
– alcohols,
– acetic acid,
– fatty acids,
– sugars,
– amino acids,
– etc.

19 Aug. 2009 Chemistry.ppt 8

 CARBOHYDRATES, FATS, and
PROTEINS
• Simple molecules built by covalent bonding
and addition of functional groups.
• Biological polymers built of simple
molecules
– Assembled and disassembled in a regular way.

19 Aug. 2009 Chemistry.ppt 9

 CARBOHYDRATES
• Monosaccharides = "Simple sugars"
– glucose, fructose, etc.
• Disaccharides
• Polysaccharides

19 Aug. 2009 Chemistry.ppt 10

 CARBOHYDRATES
• "Simple sugars" = monosaccharides
• Used as cellular "fuel," source of energy
– (as gasoline for engine)

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 Disaccharides:
Monosaccharide molecules react to form
disaccharides.

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 Synthesis = dehydration synthesis

• Removal of OH + H forms water, H2O

• Leaves bonding sites that join
monosaccharide units.

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 Disassembly = hydrolysis
• Break bond between monosaccharide units.
• Add OH + H to fill bonding sites.

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 Polysaccharides
• Built up of monosaccharide units by dehydration
synthesis.
• Disassembly by hydrolysis.

19 Aug. 2009 Chemistry.ppt 15

 Polysaccharides
• Examples:
– Glycogen - stored fuel in liver, muscle cells
– Starch - stored energy in plants, digestible
(hydrolysis)
– Cellulose - plant cell walls, indigestible (dietary
fiber)
– Chitin - arthropod exoskeletons, indigestible

19 Aug. 2009 Chemistry.ppt 16

 FATS
• Assembled of glycerol + 3 fatty acids by
dehydration synthesis.
• Glycerol = 3-carbon chain with 3 hydroxyl
groups
• Fatty acid = long carbon backbone with
carboxyl group at one end
– bonding sites at sides filled with hydrogen

19 Aug. 2009 Chemistry.ppt 17

 Synthesis = dehydration synthesis
• Remove H from glycerol and OH from fatty
acids
• Leaves bonding sites to form fat or oil

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 Disassembly = hydrolysis
• Reverse arrow--
• Break bonds between fatty acid & glycerol units
• Insert H + OH from water

19 Aug. 2009 Chemistry.ppt 19

 LIPIDS
• Larger group containing fats
• Fats
– mostly “saturated” fatty acids,
– solid at room temperature
• Oils
– some “unsaturated” fatty acids,
– liquid at room temperature
• Waxes
– larger poly-alcohols with long chain fatty acids
19 Aug. 2009 Chemistry.ppt 20
 LIPIDS
• Phospholipids
– glycerol + 2 fatty acids + 1 phosphate-containing acid

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 LIPIDS
• Steroids
– unlike other lipids, 4-ring structure

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 PROTEINS

• Proteins are polymers of amino acids

– amino acid structure
– “R” can be anything
19 Aug. 2009 Chemistry.ppt 23
 Amino acids

• Examples:
• 20 “R” groups  20 kinds of amino acids in
all biological chemistry.
– All 20 in Appendix C, p. A4 (1164).
19 Aug. 2009 Chemistry.ppt 24
 PROTEINS
• Globular • Structural/Fibrous
– hemoglobin – keratin
– myoglobin • epidermis, hair, nails
– hormones – collagen
– insulin, glucagon, • tendons, ligaments
growth hormone – silks
– antibodies
– receptors
– ENZYMES

19 Aug. 2009 Chemistry.ppt 25

 PROTEINS: ENZYMES
• Biological polymers (carbohydrates, lipids,
proteins, nucleic acids) must be assembled
precisely!!
– Chemical processes must occur in proper sequence.
– Chemical processes require energy (heat) for
activation.
• Reactions occur very slowly at body temperature.
• Add heat to speed up reaction  undesirable reactions
• How to control reactions at moderate
temperature?
– Answer = . . .
19 Aug. 2009 Chemistry.ppt 26
 ENZYMES
• Enzymes = biological
catalysts
– Properties
• SPECIFICITY:
– 1 enzyme  1 reaction
• LOWER ACTIVATION
ENERGY:
– increased reaction rate
• CONTROL (regulation):
– Enzymes can be “switched
on” or “off.”

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 Process of catalysis:
• Enzyme attaches
temporarily to
substrate(s) at active
site.
• Reaction occurs.
• Product released.

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 Importance of enzymes

• Enzymatic reactions
occur in sequence to
make natural
products.
• Abnormal enzymes
can produce
abnormal products.

19 Aug. 2009 Chemistry.ppt 29

 Nucleic acids
• Polymers of nucleotides
– 3 parts of nucleotide
• 5-C sugar (ribose, deoxyribose)
• Base (A, C, G, T or U)
• Phosphate

19 Aug. 2009 Chemistry.ppt 30

 Nucleic acids
• Base pairing in DNA
– A with T
– C with G
• Information storage
• Stability

19 Aug. 2009 Chemistry.ppt 31

 ATP
• A special nucleotide
• Primary “fuel” for cell metabolism.

19 Aug. 2009 Chemistry.ppt 32