THE CHEMISTRY OF LIFE
and oxygen and include fats and
CHEMICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR THE CELL
Water
It is the most abundant of all compounds in
cells.
It is about 60-90% of most living organisms.
It is the universal solvent.
Most Abundant Element in Human Body
1. Oxygen
2. Hydrogen
3. Carbon Most important structural element
in the body.
3. Proteins
Types of Compound
1. Organic Compound
Compounds that contain Carbon.
Examples: Carbohydrates, Proteins
and Fats
2. Inorganic Compound
Compounds that do not contain
Carbon.
Examples: Water, Salt and Rust
Four Groups of Organic Compounds in Living
Organisms:
1. Carbohydrates
4. Nucleic Acids
Are compounds containing Carbon,
Hydrogen and Oxygen O in 1:2:1
ratio.
It generally supply heat and energy
for many cellular processes.
Class: Monosaccharides (simple
sugar e.g glucose, fructose and
galactose), Dissacharides (double
sugar e.g sucrose, lactose and
maltose), Oligosaccharides (three on
more sugar) and Polysaccharides
(branched chain of hundreds or
thousands of sugar units e.g
glycogen, starch and cellulose)
2. Lipids (Fats)
Are composed of carbon, hydrogen
phospholipids.
They provide energy; provide an
economical form for storage of
reserved food and energy; and act as
body insulators.
Classification of Lipids:
A. Lipids with Fatty Acids like
glycerides, phospholipids and
waxes.
B. Lipids with No Fatty Acids like
steroids
Are molecules composed of amino
acids.
It can be used for structural purposes.
And for
a) Material Storage
o Albumin in eggs and
Casein in milk.
b) Transport
o Hemoglobin to carry
oxygen in the blood.
c) Cell Movement
d) And others
It is a small organic compound which
is made up of 3 components.
Three Types of Nucleotides:
1. Adenosine Phosphate
Small molecule that function as
chemical messengers within and
between cells, and as energy carrier.
2. Nucleotide Enzymes
Transport the hydrogen atoms and
electrons necessary in metabolism.
3. Nucleic Acids
Are large single or double stranded
chains of nucleotide units.
Examples are DNA and RNA.