Chemistry of Life
Brianna Strausser and Laura Whitfield
Water
- Adhesion- the attraction of molecules of a different kind.
- Cohesion- the attraction of molecules of the same kind.
- Polarity- the water's positive and negative charges cancel each other out.
- Heat Storage- water absorbs heat slowly and holds the energy longer
- pH scale- a scale that tells how acidic something is. It goes from more acidic to less acidic (bases).
Water is a vital part of life. Water is used to help maintain homeostasis. It releases the heat in our body by sweating.
Water
Water is a vital part to all life.
Chemical Formula of Water
2 hydrogen and 1 oxygen
Water Molecule
The molecule structure of water.
Macromolecules
A macromolecule has its own characteristics that help identify it. There are 4 major macromolecules. They are carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids.
Macromolecule Structure
Chain of macromolecules.
Macromolecule
Chain of macromolecules showing the bonds.
Protein
The structure of protein.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are a key source of energy in the human body. It is found in mostly in food. Its ration of Carbon to Hydrogen to Oxygen is 1:2:1.
There are 4 types of carbohydrates.
- Monosaccharides
- Disaccharides
- Oligosaccharides
- Polysaccharides
Monosaccharide
Basic source of energy.
Example:
- Glucose
- Fructose
Disaccharide
Used for energy and in cells
Example:
- Sucrose
- Lactose
Oligosaccharide
Cellular sign posts
Polysaccharide
Stores plant and starch energy after digested
Example:
- Starches
- Cellulose
- Chitin
Proteins
Proteins are biological molecules that are made up of building blocks called amino acids. A protein becomes active when it twists and folds into shapes. Proteins have many functions. Its important to study the shape of proteins because it helps find diseases.
Functions
Proteins have many functions and here they are.....
Shapes
Proteins come in many shapes and sizes.
Food
Proteins are in may of our foods that we eat.
Lipids
Lipids have four parts. Three fatty acids and one glycerol. Lipids are hydrophobic, which means they don't like water. Saturated, unsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats are lipids. Saturated fats are long chains of carbon with all bonds filled by hydrogen. Unsaturated fats has one double bond which causes a "kink" in the chain. Polyunsaturated fats has more than one double bond in the chain.
Food
Lipids are found in fatty foods.
Structure
Lipids have three fatty acids and one glycerol.
Butter
Butter has fat so therefore it contains lipids.
Nucleic Acids
There are three types of nucleic acids. They are DNA, RNA, and ATP. DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic acid. ATP means Adenosine Triphosphate. RNA means Ribonucleic Acid.
ATP
ATP is considered the "energy bank".
DNA
DNA is responsible for traits and heredity. It holds our genetic code.
RNA
RNA carries instructions for making proteins.
Enzymes
- All enzymes are proteins, but not all proteins are enzymes
- An enzyme reacts on a substrate. A substrate is a substance in which an enzyme reacts.
- Enzymes only act on certain substrates
- An enzymes shape determines its activity
- Enzymes have folds that make pockets. These pockets make active sites.
- Enzymes need the help of activation energy. An example of activation energy are the friction of the match head on the sandpaper starts the match.
- The temperature and PH make the enzymes react faster or slower. They react faster for higher temperatures and slower for lower temperatures.
How enzymes work
When you add a substrate to an enzyme, it becomes one or more product(s)
Reaction
This is the reaction energy over time for chemical reactions.
Structure
The atomic makeup of enzymes alongside the simple version.