THE CHEMICALS OF LIFE

Oxygen
Carbon dioxide
water
Inorganic molecules are small, simple
molecules. They contain a wide variety of
elements. These molecules do not contain
carbon dioxide.

Organic molecules are large, complex. They

don t contain many elements. Ex: carbon,
oxygen, hydrogen. (nitrogen and sulphur)
carbohydrates
lipids
proteins
nucleic acids
Inorganic Molecules
Oxygen: readily available in many
environments as a gas or in dissolved form. It
is available as a waste product of
photosynthesis in plants. It is important for
anaerobic respiration in many organisms
Carbon dioxide: is a waste product of
respiration. Carbon dioxide is a bit low
because it is only found in plants for
photosynthesis
Water: important habitat for aquatic
organisms. Also has very important functions
in organisms
. Component of living material (protoplasm).
65 percent-humans 80 percent-plants
. Transport within cells and between cells
. Allow chemical changes to take place in
solution. Takes part in certain reactions
(eg photosynthesis and hydrolysis
reactions during digestion)
. Dissolves respiratory gases in land-living
organisms\
. Provides support in non-woody plants-
turgor pressure in the plant cells supports
leaves and stems and prevents them from
wilting
. It is coolant(has a high latent heat of
vaporization) a lot of heat can be absorbed
from the body during evaporation
(sweating)
. Lubricant (synovial fluid) in joints and
mucus in guts.

Organic fuels are divided into 2

4 categories.

Carbohydrates (sugars)
. Contain carbon, and oxygen only in the
ratio CH2O.
. The basic unit of carbohydrates
monosaccharide. 2 monosaccharides
disaccharide
disaccharide
. Many monosaccharides can join to form
many polysaccharide
. Polysaccharides can be broken in digestion
to form disaccharides and
monosaccharides.

Monosaccharides

When monosaccharide joins to another

monosaccharide the loss of one water
molecule. - condensation reaction
. Polysaccharides to monosaccharide units
by adding water hydrolosis reaction
. Typical monosaccharide (C6H12O6)
. Many glucose molecules can be joined to
form polysaccharide starch.
. Glucose can join to antother glucose
molecule to form disaccharide maltose.
. During digestion starch is broken down
first into maltose and eventually into
glucose.

Carbohydrate
Group
Chemical
structure
formula
examples
function
Monosaccharides
(simple sugars)
hexose
Consist of a
single chemical
group
C6H12O6
Glucose
Fructose
galactose
Soluble: structural
units for making
larger
carbohydrates.
Source of energy
when
respired(17/g)
Disaccharides
(double sugars)
Consist of 2
joined
monosaccharides
C12H22O11
Maltose
sucrose
Soluble: sucrose
is a transport
material in plants
Polysaccharides
(large, complex
sugars)
Consist of many
joined
monosaccharides
(C12H22O1)n
Starch
Glycogen
cellulose
Insoluble: used as
food store in
plants (starch) or
animals
(glycogen): as
structural
material in plants
(cellulose)

Chemical tests for Carbohydrates

Test for reducing sugars (glucose)
Fatty acid 1
Fatty acid 2
Fatty acid 3
glycerol
. Add some blue benedict s solution to
the reducing sugar in a boiling tube.
. Heat about 37 degrees Celsius a
characteristic of brick red precipitate
of cuprous oxide will form.

Test for starch

. Add some brown iodine solution to the
starch
. Iodine will give a characteristic blue-
black colour in the presence of starch.

Lipids
Lipids are fars(solids) and oils (liquids)
. Contain carbon, hydrogen and few
oxygen
. Typical fat glycerol unit with 3 fatty
acids attached.
. Fatty acids can be saturated or un
saturated.
. Fats differ from each other depending on the
fatty acids joined to the glycerol molecule.
. Formation of fats involves 3 condensation
reactions

Lipids are important for:

. Forming part of cell membranes.
. For energy release during respiration.
. As energy store e.g. seeds.
. As a means of protection (around delicate
organisms)
. As a means of insulation (preventing heat
loss from the body during cold weather)

Arctic mammals have a layer of fat called

(blubber)
. Waterproofing oils coat the skin, fur and
feathers of many animals.

Chemical tests for lipids

. Pour some ethanol into a test tube and add
some oil droplets and shake.
. Add some water the clear solution turns
cloudy.
. Place some oil or fatty food on a piece of
filter paper.
. The paper will turn permanently translucent
(grease spot)

Proteins

. They contain, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen

sometimes even sulphur and phosphorus.
. Basic unit of proteins is amino acid. 20
different
. Amino acid + amino acid form dipeptide.
Many joined amino acids are polypeptides
. Bond that makes amino acids together is the
peptide bond
. Polypeptide chains twist to give a 3
dimensional shape.

proteins functions
. structure of cells and tissues-most
important in animals-plants depend more
on carbohydrate
. movement in muscle fibres
. control of chemical processes by enzimes
that are catalysts and hormones
. prevention of disease by antibodies
. energy providers. Only 18KJ of energy are
released per gram of protein. Only in
carnivores-otherwise only respired in case
of starvation.

Chemical tests for proteins

Add some blue biuret s solution (NaOH and
CuSO4) to some protein solution turns
from very pale blue to purple (lilac)
Nucleic acids
. they contain carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and
phosphorus.
. Structural unit is nucleotide-each
nucleotide consists of a sugar, a
phosphate and a base.
. DNA is a large, complex twisted into a
double helix
. RNA is a shorter, single-stranded molecule

Both DNA and RNA carry genetic

information
sugar
base
A nucleotide
C
R
NH2
COOH
H