Biospecies Information

By: Bryan Sadowski

Proteins

● Made up of amino acid chains– Typically 200-300, but can be as high as 27,000 (titin)

● Functions proteins are responsible for:– Structures of cells – Transport of materials in

body fluids– Receptors for hormones

http://www.accessexcellence.org/AB/GG/aminoAcid.html

Amino Acids

● The monomers making up protein polymers● Made of alpha C, attached to:

– Amino group– Carboxyl group to donate H– One of 20 “R” groups

● Nine essential amino acids– Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine,

Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Valine

Aline amino acid representationhttp://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/A/AminoAcids.html

Enzymes

● Catalysts for body funtions● Most are proteins

– some use RNA as catalysts (ribozymes)● Bond temporarily to reactants and lower

activation energy for reaction● Example of a body catalyst

– Carbonic anhydrase in red blood cells● CO

2 + H

2O <-> H

2CO

3, allows transport of carbon dioxide from tissue to lungs

Cells

● Structural units that make up plants and animals● Made up of 90% cytoplasm

– Free amino acids, proteins, glucose, etc...● Other 10% consist of:

– 59% H, 24% O, 11% C, 4% N, 2% other● Some of the organelles in the cell:

– Nucleus (DNA), endoplasmic reticulum (protein synthesis), mitochondria (food to energy)

Nucleic Acids

● Building blocks of DNA and RNA● Four types of bases

– Adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G), cytosine (C)– Bond A to T and C to G– Form into two complimentary, antiparallel chains

adenine thymine cytosine guanine

http://ndbserver.rutgers.edu/NDB/archives/NAintro/

Sources

● http://www.cbc.umn.edu/~mwd/cell_www/cell_intro.html

● http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/P/Proteins.html

● http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/A/AminoAcids.html

● http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/E/Enzymes.html

● http://ndbserver.rutgers.edu/NDB/archives/NAintro/