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Cells
Molecular Composition of Cells
• One of the common features of organisms here on Earth is their
biochemical composition.
• All organisms contain a common set of chemicals, such as carbon,
oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and hydrogen, which build
larger and more complex molecules necessary in life.
• These large molecules—carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic
acids—combine to produce different structures or substances that
perform specific functions in the cell.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates
In saponification reactions,
triglycerides react with strong
bases (NaOH or KOH) to form
the carboxylate salts of the
fatty acids, called soaps:
Soaps
• NaOH produces a “hard” soap, commonly found in bar soaps; KOH
produces a “soft” soap, such as those in shaving creams and liquid
soaps.
• These salts combine two solubility characteristics:
• a long, nonpolar, water-insoluble (hydrophobic) hydrocarbon “tail.”
• a charged, water-soluble (hydrophilic) “head.”
• In water, the “tails” become
tangled, leaving the charged
heads sticking out into the
solution, forming a structure
called a micelle.
Activity: Reactions of
Triglycerides
Write the products of the following reactions
Phospholipids
• Phospholipids are lipids with a phosphate
group.
• They have a structure similar to fats, but with
additional properties.
• Attached on one side of the glycerol
backbone are the hydrophobic or nonpolar
“tails,” which are composed of two chains of
fatty acids.
• Attached on the other side of the glycerol
backbone is the hydrophilic or polar “head,”
which is composed of a phosphate group.
• A peptide bond is a
chemical bond formed
between two molecules
when the carboxyl group of
one molecule reacts with
the amino group of the
other molecule, releasing a
molecule of water (H2O).
• This is a dehydration
synthesis reaction
Shapes of Proteins
• Whether hydrophilic or hydrophobic, the peptide’s R groups will help
determine the structure of the protein. The structures of a protein
and its corresponding function makes it unique.
• Peptide chains eventually twist and fold into their specialized shape,
forming the protein. Within the geometry of proteins are several
bonds that stabilize their structure and help them adapt to their
specific functions.
Primary Proteins
• The simplest structure of all proteins, this is composed only of a linear
sequence of amino acids in a peptide chain.
• Adenosine triphosphate,
also called ATP, is another
special nucleotide that is
incorporated in the nucleic
acid. Its structure shows the
presence of an adenine and
three phosphate groups all
attached to the ribose.