Chemical Compounus of Cells Notes

Cells anu 0iganelles aie veiy small, but eveiything in the univeise is maue of
paiticles that aie even smallei. These aie calleu molecules.

ELENENTS ANB C0NP00NBS
Elements aie substances that cannot be bioken uown into simplei
substances. Elements aie maue of only one type of atom. Element incluue
oxygen, caibon, hyuiogen, nitiogen, iion, calcium, anu golu.
Compounus aie combinations of two oi moie elements. Watei is a compounu
maue fiom oxygen anu hyuiogen. Caibon uioxiue is maue fiom oxygen anu
caibon. The smallest unit of a compounu is calleu a molecule, which is two oi
moie atoms stuck togethei.
Watei is the most common compounu in youi touay. Nost living things in the
woilu aie maue of 7u% watei. You neeu watei because N0ST CBENICAL
REACTI0NS IN Y00R B0BY REQ0IRES WATER T0 0CC0R.

Inoiganic anu 0iganic Compounus. Watei is an inoiganic compounu, which
means it uoes not contain the element, caibon. All oiganic compounus
contain caibon, but theie aie some compounus that contain caibon, which
aie not oiganic, like uiamonus. Caibohyuiates, lipius, pioteins, anu nucleic
acius aie impoitant gioups of oiganic compounus in living things.
CARB0BYBRATES
Pioviue eneigy foi the cell anu aie impoitant components of some cells
(especially plants).
Sugais anu staiches aie examples of caibohyuiates. Sugais aie simple
caibohyuiates, anu staiches aie complex caibohyuiates. Sugai molecules aie
chaineu togethei to foim staich molecules.

LIPIBS
Seive as an eneigy souice, anu make up most of the cell membiane.
Fats anu oils: Fat usually come fiom animals, anu oils usually come fiom
plants.
Stoieu eneigy: A fat beai uses the fat in his bouy foi eneigy when it is
hibeinating.
PR0TEINS
Nuch of youi bouy is maue up of pioteins.
Foous high in piotein incluue: meats, eggs, fish, nuts, anu beans.
Piotein is maue of smallei molecules calleu amino acius. When you eat a
piece of chicken, youi bouy bieaks uown the chicken piotein into amino
acius. Youi bouy then takes these amino aciu builuing blocks anu makes
human piotein. That's why you uon't have featheis of a beak!
Enzymes aie types of pioteins that help chemical ieactions in youi bouy.

N0CLEIC ACIBS
Nucleic acius contain the instiuctions that cells neeu to caiiy out all the
functions of life.
Theie aie two kinus of nucleic acius. The fiist is BNA (ueoxyiibonucleic aciu),
which is the genetic mateiial that caiiies infoimation passeu fiom paient to
offspiing. BNA also contiols all the cell's activities. RNA is useu in the
piouuction of piotins.