Organic Compounds:

Proteins

Basic Overview

contain nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen

Water is the most abundant molecule in the body

Proteins are the 2nd most abundant!

Amino Acids = building blocks!

All proteins are made of amino acids– Amino acids = building blocks =

monomers– 20 essential amino acids

peptide bond- the bond that holds amino acids together to form a protein– Peptides = chains of amino acids

A single protein can be made of hundreds or thousands of amino acids

The human body has ~100,000 different proteins!

Protein StructureAll proteins have a unique

shape–amino acid chain twists and turns

to create a specialized shape–amino acid order determines

protein shapeorder changes => shape

changes => protein cannot function!!!

Functions Control cell activities & chemical

reactions (enzymes)– cell metabolism– Metabolism = all reactions involved in

OBTAINING and USING ENERGY cellular transport immune system function muscle function structure

– tissues and organs– hair, nails, horns, hoofs, etc.

What are Enzymes?very important proteinsonly found in living thingschange the rate of a

chemical reaction–also called catalysts–can speed up reactions–control metabolic processes

Why are Enzymes Important?help make materials needed

by cells release energy transfer informationalso involved in chemical

reactions of digestion, reproduction, respiration, vision, movement, thought, etc.

Factors that Affect Enzymes Enzyme activity can be affected

by:– temperature– pH

Cells must maintain homeostasis of pH and temperature for enzymes to work best!

All enzymes have optimal (BEST) pH levels and temperatures that work fastest at!

pH

Temperature

Nucleic Acids

Structure

composed of the elements carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and phosphorus

Built from nucleotidesVery large and complex!

Nucleotides

Nucleotides = Building blocks of nucleic acids = monomers

Consist of three basic parts:5-carbon sugar (a carbohydrate)

phosphate groupnitrogenous base

Functions Two basic types:

RNA = ribonucleic acidcontains the sugar riboseInvolved in making proteins

DNA = deoxyribonucleic acidcontains the sugar deoxyribosegenetic information Blueprints/instructions for life!