BIOLOGY FORM 4

CHAPTER 4 :
CHEMICAL
COMPOSITION OF THE
CELL

CHEMICAL ELEMENTS OF THE CELL

Elements form the basic building blocks of all
matter.
Major
element
(require in
large
quantity)
Carbon
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Nitrogen
96% of

ELEMENT
S

Minor element
(require in
smaller
quantity)
Calcium
Phosphorus
Potassium
4% of human

Trace element
(require in the
smallest
quantity)
Zinc
Copper
Iron
0.1% of
human body
mass

CHEMICAL COMPUNDS IN THE CELL

Consists of two or more different element
bound together
Two different group of chemical compound
which are:
i) organic compounds contain carbon and
from living things. Example :
carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nuclei
acid.
ii) Inorganic compounds do not contain
carbon and not from living things.
Examples : water,acids,bases, and mineral
salt

Nucleic Acids

Organic compound
Compunds of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen,
phosphorus and nitrogen
Two types of nucleic acid:
i) Dexoyribonucleic acid (DNA)
o) stucture double stranded polynucluetides
twisted around each other to form double helix
o)Fucntion carry genetic information
i) Ribonucleic acid (RNA)
o)Stucture single strand of polynucleotide
o)Function involved in the synthesis of proteins
) Nucleotides basic building units of nucleic acids
- made up of nitogenous base, pentose sugar and
phosphate group

NUCLEOTIDE

WATER
Inorganic compund
Made up of hydorgen & oxygen
Importance of water are:
i) Give support in plants and hydrostatic skeletons
in worms
ii) Component of the protoplasm
iii) Solvent for solutes in the cells and blood plama
iv) Medium for biochemical reaction
v) Maintains the osmotic pressure in the tissue and
blood plasma

CARBOHYDRATE

Organic compound
Source of energy
Elements are from carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
3 types of carbohydrate :
i) Monosaccharide: glucose (in plant& fruits) , fructose (in fruits
& honey) & galactose (in milk).
All monosaccharide are reducing sugar.
ii) Disaccharide: maltose (two glucose join together - malt
sugar), lactose (glucose & galactose milk sugar) & sucrose
(glucose & fructose cane sugar)
Maltose & lactose are reducing sugar
Sucrose non-reducing sugar
iii) Polysaccharide : starch (stored in plant), glycogen (stored in
animal) & cellulose (forms the call walls of plant cells)
All polysaccharides are non-reducing sugar

PROTEINS

Compounds of carbon, hyodrogen, oxygen & nitogen. Many

proteins also contain sulphur & phosphorus.
For growth & cell divison
Amino acids are basic building units of proteins. There are two
types of amino acids :
Essential cell need because body cannot produce
Non-essential cell need but body can produce
Amino acids divided in two class. First class amino acids are
fromm animals and second class amino acids are from plants
Amino acids are linked together by a peptide bond
STURCTURE OF
PROTEIN

LIPIDS

Compounds of carbon, hydrogen & oxygen. Some lipids contain

nitrogen & phosphorus.
Types of lipids are fats, oils, waxes, phospholipids and steroids
Triglycerides are basic units of fats and oils.

Glycerol & Fatty Acid

Glycerol colourless, oudourless, sweet-tasting and syrupy
liquid
Fatty acid has long hydrogen tail with a carboxyl group at one
end
- have one or more double bond
Fats
Form the energy store of the body
SATURATED FAT
UNSATURATED FAT
Two types:
All single bond

One or more double

bond

Less reactive

More reactive

In solid at room temp.

In liquid at room temp.

bad cholesterol

Good cholesterol

ENZYMES

i)
ii)
)
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)

Are protein molecules made by living cells, acting as catalysts.

Uses :
to tenderise meat
Used in industry (detergent)
Characteristics :
Specific
Have active side
Speed up the rate of reactions
Are not destroy after the reaction
Can be help by confactor ferum & copper
Required in small amounts

Intracellular & Extracellular Enzymes

) Intracellular produced in the cell
) Extracellular secreted out of the cell
) Enzyme action can be affected by the pH value of solution, the
temperature of the medium of reaction, the concentration of
the substrate and the concentration of enzyme.

THANK YOU.