2. Building blocks of life
• In our last two units you were
introduced to the cycles of matter
in the environment.
• Do you remember some of them?
• List those you can remember.

3. The cycles are needed for life
because they contain the
elements of life.
• These cycles use certain
components/elements needed to build living
organisms.
• In this unit we will examine role these
elements play in all living organisms.

4. Relationship to Rivers
• You may recall some of the cycles in nature were
carbon dioxide, water, phosphates and nitrates.
• One of our water quality expert groups shared the
data and importance of nitrates and phosphates to
a balanced and healthy river with respect to water
quality.
• You will see that this unit examines where water,
carbon dioxide and the nutrients of phosphates
and nitrates fit into the molecules of living
organisms.

5. Too many nitrates and
phosphates = Eutrophication

6. Cultural Eutrophication
• Run off of excess
fertilizers/animal
waste (high in
phosphates and
nitrates) change the
balance of the
nutrients in the water
causing explosive
plant and algae
growth.

7. Relationship to Rivers cont.
• All living organisms, whether river organisms
or not, contain the common macromolecules of
life (We’ll call them the big 4)
• They are used as energy sources, nutrients for
building tissues and living material, as well as
helping the organism remain healthy and in
passing on information for future generations
to use.
• In this short but important unit we will explore
these macromolecules, their roles and functions
with living organisms.

8. Before you can understand the topics inBefore you can understand the topics in
this unit there are some key vocabularythis unit there are some key vocabulary
terms you need to know.terms you need to know.
MacromoleculeMacromolecule
PolymerPolymer
MonomerMonomer

10. Oooooh, BIG ScaRy Science word!

11. What do these words mean?

12. A molecule is a collection of 2 or
more atoms chemically combined
that have a unique set of
properties.

13. So What Is A
Macromolecule?
You should be able to define it on your own !You should be able to define it on your own !

14. Next Word…..

15. Polygons
Polygamy
Polyester

17. What does
“Mono”
mean?

18. A PolymerA Polymer
Here are some analogies to better
understand what polymers and monomers
are….
EXAMPLE of
POLYMER
MONOMER
A TRAIN ?
A NECKLACE ?
If the train is the whole polymer, what would be theIf the train is the whole polymer, what would be the
small groups that make up the train? If thesmall groups that make up the train? If the
necklace is the polymer, what are the monomers thatnecklace is the polymer, what are the monomers that

19. A PolymerA Polymer
Here are some analogies to better
understand what polymers and monomers
are….
EXAMPLE of
POLYMER
MONOMER
A TRAIN THE CARS
A NECKLACE EACH PEARL
If the train is the whole polymer, what would be theIf the train is the whole polymer, what would be the
small groups that make up the train? If thesmall groups that make up the train? If the
necklace is the polymer, what are the monomers thatnecklace is the polymer, what are the monomers that

20. Now you and your lab partner
need to think of at least 1 other
analogy for a polymer and its
monomers.

23. The Big 4
There are 4 types of biochemical macromolecules
•What does “Bio-Chemical” mean?
Break it down: How do you define bio?
How do you define chemical?
•Then what is a BIOchemical macromolecule?

24. Three out of the 4 types of
biochemical macromolecules
can be found on food
nutrition labels…

25. Look at the label to the left. 3
of the 4 macromolecules can
be found in foods.
The 3 biochemical molecules
found on a nutrition label
are:
1____________________
2____________________
3____________________
(0 grams in this product)
(13 grams in this product)
(9 grams in this product)

27. The 4th type of biochemical
macromolecules are the
NUCLEIC ACIDS
The types of Nucleic Acids
we will study are:
–DNA (DeoxyriboNucleic Acid)
–RNA (RiboNucleic Acid)

28. “DNA” is short for
DeoxyriboNucleic Acid
• Now you know why they just
call it DNA!

29. When studying these biochemical
molecules, we are interested in
finding out…..
• what they do for living things.
• what they generally look like.
• what their monomers are.
• and how they may help the body gain
energy to sustain life.

30. LET’S BEGIN WITH
CARBOHYDRATES
They are the main source for the body to gain
energy. They are our fuel!
They also are used for some types of tissues
such as the make up the cell wall in
plants/fungi which allow them to grow tall,
without this carbohydrate, a plant would be a
mushy mess
THINK: CARBS= ENERGY and CELL WALLS

31. CARBOHYDRATES
•They are found in the cells andThey are found in the cells and
fluids of both plants andfluids of both plants and
animals. You are familiar withanimals. You are familiar with
many of the carbohydratesmany of the carbohydrates
found in the foods you eat.found in the foods you eat.

32. CARBOHYDRATES
Carbohydrates are chainsCarbohydrates are chains
(polymers) made of monomers.(polymers) made of monomers.
The most common monomer ofThe most common monomer of
carbohydrates is…carbohydrates is…

33. The shape of a glucose
molecule is a hexagonal ring

34. CARBOHYDRATES
Each carbohydrate is made upEach carbohydrate is made up
of…of…
THINK: CHO“ ”THINK: CHO“ ”

35. Consider the word carbohydrate
• If we break the word down it contains both
carbon and hydrate. This tells us that the
molecules of glucose contain both carbon
and water.
• One key to identifying carbohydrates is that
they all contain a ratio of 2hydrogen atoms
to every one oxygen atom. JUST LIKE
WATER H2O

36. CARBOHYDRATES
THERE ARE 2 TYPES OFTHERE ARE 2 TYPES OF
CARBOHYDRATESCARBOHYDRATES
SimpleSimple ComplexComplex

37. Simple Sugars are carbohydrates
made up of 1 or 2 monomers of
glucose.

38. Simple Sugars

39. Complex
Carbohydrates…
What are they?
Complex Carbohydrates areComplex Carbohydrates are
polymerspolymers made up of manymade up of many
monomers (simple sugars.)monomers (simple sugars.)

40. You are familiar with many complex
Carbohydrates found in foods such as:

41. The cell walls of plants and fungi are composed of
complex carbohydrate molecules called cellulose
in plants and chitin in fungi.

42. The cellulose molecule is so structurally sound that it
allows the plants to be rigid without having a
skeletal structure.

43. Cellulose is the major component in
wood. It is fairly stable and takes a lot to
break it down.

44. Look how strong these giant lilly
pads are, pretty cool eh?

45. NOW ONTO PROTEINS
T hey are the m ajor structural m olecules in living
things for growth and repair : m uscles, ligam ents,
tendons, bones, hair, skin, nails IN F A C T A LL… C E LL
M E M B R A N E S have protein in them
T hey m ake up antibodies in the im m une system
T hey m ake up enzym es for helping chem ical
reactions
T hey m akeup non-steriod horm ones which
T H IN K : P roteins= M em branes, E nzym es, A ntibodies,
N on-steriod horm ones, S tructural m olecules, M -E -A -“

46. MORE ON PROTEINS…
T he following slidesT he following slides
give you a little m ore ingive you a little m ore in
depth info on things thatdepth info on things that
are made of proteins…are made of proteins…

47. Muscles, ligaments,
tendons, and bones
Without these
particular structural
proteins, we would
look more like this….

48. Well, maybe not exactly (giant jelly fish washed up onWell, maybe not exactly (giant jelly fish washed up on
shore)…shore)…

49. Hair, Skin, and Nails

50. Microscope View of
Skin and Nails
This is skin This is a nail

51. Cell Membrane
The cell membrane surrounds everything in a cell so it doesn’t
leak out. It is kind of like the balloon in a water balloon.
The cell membrane is made mostly of protein AND lipids.

52. Antibodies are part of the immune system. When
something enters the body that isn’t supposed to be
there, like certain bacteria, antibodies find the invader
and stick themselves onto it. When a white blood cell
finds the invader covered with antibodies, it knows it
doesn’t belong there and kills it.

53. Enzymes are proteins that speed
up chemical reactions. If you
didn’t have enzymes in your
stomach to speed up digestion, the
food would rot in your stomach
because it would take so long!

54. Hormones are chemicals made in glands that
are in one place in the body and then put
into the blood to be used in another.
These are where the
hormone producing
glands are located
in your body.

55. The thyroid is found in the middle of your neck, by your voice box.
Here is a picture of those cells secreting the thyroid hormone.
Thyroid hormone regulates how fast your body uses energy.
If you have an over active thyroid, you use energy quickly and tend to be
very thin and have a hard time putting on weight.
If you have an under active thyroid gland, you use energy very slowly
and tend to carry more body fat and have a difficult time losing it.
Don’t be quick to think you have a thyroid problem if you are
overweight, chances are it’s actually your eating and exercise habits!
(The yellow stuff is
thyroid hormone)

56. PROTEINS
•In plants - in the cellIn plants - in the cell
membranes.membranes.
•In animal products- in theIn animal products- in the
cell membranes- in thecell membranes- in the
muscles or living things-muscles or living things-
cows, chicken, fish…cows, chicken, fish…

57. Proteins in foods

58. Proteins
Aside from the protein foundAside from the protein found
in animal sources protein…in animal sources protein…
can also be found in fruits,can also be found in fruits,
vegetables, grains, and nuts.vegetables, grains, and nuts.
(it just does not have as many amino acids)(it just does not have as many amino acids)

59. PROTEINS
P roteins are m ade of longP roteins are m ade of long
chains (polym ers) m ade ofchains (polym ers) m ade of
m onom ers. A ll proteins arem onom ers. A ll proteins are
m ade of the m onom er…m ade of the m onom er…

60. There are a total of 20 different
amino acids, and just like letters in
the alphabet can be used to make an
infinite amount of different words,
the amino acids can be arranged in
an infinite amount of different ways
to form all the different tissues in
living organisms.

61. The different arrangements of amino acids create
a variety of tissues and structures.
Amin
o
Acid
chain
All
woun

62. PROTEINS
E ach protein is m ade up of…E ach protein is m ade up of…
T H IN K : C H O N S“ ”T H IN K : C H O N S“ ”

63. LIPIDS ARE NEXT
T hey are a great source of S T O R E D E N E R G Y so
we have it in the future.
T hey IN S U LA T E the body to m aintain norm al
body tem perature and they C U S H IO N the internal
organs for protection.
T hey produce horm ones for the body called
S T E R IO D S
T hey waterproof surfaces and cells of living
organism s som e are even called waxes.
T H IN K : W aterproof, Insulate, S teriods, E nergy,
C ushion W -I-S -E - C… “ ”

64. LIPIPS…Some interesting info
•Fruits produce a waxy coating to
keep from drying out.
• The cells in a tulip make a wax
which helps coat the leaves.
•Ear wax traps dust, sand, and
other foreign particles from going
deeper into the ear and causing
damage.
•Beeswax- a structural material to
hold honey in the hive

65. LIPIPS…Some interesting info
There are many different types ofThere are many different types of
steroids. They are all lipids.steroids. They are all lipids.
Their functions vary. Some commonTheir functions vary. Some common
steroids are:steroids are:
SEX STEROIDSSEX STEROIDS ANABOLIC STERIODSANABOLIC STERIODS
CHOLESTEROLCHOLESTEROL
Like testosterone andLike testosterone and
estrogenestrogen
They increaseThey increase
musclemuscle

66. LIPIPS…Some interesting info
S om e anabolicS om e anabolic
steroids aresteroids are
illegalillegal
And can be dangerous and
NATURAL STERIODS IN OUR BODYNATURAL STERIODS IN OUR BODY
INCREASE MUSCLE GROWTH ANDINCREASE MUSCLE GROWTH AND
BONE DEVELOPMENT AND AREBONE DEVELOPMENT AND ARE
GOOD. THE ILLEGAL ONES THATGOOD. THE ILLEGAL ONES THAT
ARE SYNTHETIC ARE BAD.ARE SYNTHETIC ARE BAD.

67. Very Common Effects of Illegal SteroidsVery Common Effects of Illegal Steroids
If used when the person is still growing, they will be shorter
as an adult, anabolic steroids will decrease bone growth.
Males will experience shrinking of the testicles, and with prolonge
use, the steroid will be turned into estrogen in the male body and
will start to lay fatty tissue on the chest, otherwise known as breas
If genetically predisposed to becoming
bald, balding will happen more quickly.
If clean needles are not readily
available, there is a significantly higher
risk of getting AIDS.
Future risks of liver cancer & disease.
Enlarged heart (one pro athlete’s heart grew
to the size of a basketball…obviously he’s
dead)

68. Illegal Steroid Use in Women
Some additional effects…
reasts will decrease in size, the opposite of what happens to men.
The woman will start to grow facial hair, how quickly depends on
her genetic makeup. If she discontinues use, the facial hair will
still continue to grow.
If she is genetically predisposed
to balding, she will start to lose
her hair, just as if she was
genetically male.
Her voice will start to deepen,
how quickly depends on her
genetics. If she discontinues
use, her voice will remain
deep.

69. LIPIDS
•In plants- in the seeds, waxesIn plants- in the seeds, waxes
and oils.and oils.
•In anim als- in adipose tissue,In anim als- in adipose tissue,
connective tissue, in anim alsconnective tissue, in anim als
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
•Lipids m ake up the cellLipids m ake up the cell

70. Cell membranes are composed of a double
lipid layer that provides a boundary between
the cell and the environment.

71. Lipids are commonly found in foods and an important
part of good and unfortunately bad nutrition.

72. LIPIDS
Lipids are chains (polym ers)Lipids are chains (polym ers)
m ade of m onom ers. T he m ostm ade of m onom ers. T he m ost
com m on m onom er of lipids is…com m on m onom er of lipids is…

73. The Shape of a triglyceride is like
the letter
E
This is a triglyceride molecule

74. LIPIDS
E ach carbohydrate is m ade upE ach carbohydrate is m ade up
of…of…
T H IN K : C H O“ ”T H IN K : C H O“ ”

75. OH NO CHO!
Lipids like Carbs?
You might have noticed that both carbohydrates and lipids have the
elements Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen.
“CHO”
A carbohydrate, has twice as many hydrogen atoms as the
number of oxygen atoms.
EX: C6H12O6
(This is a carb= there are double the number of H compared to
O)
On the other hand, lipids have a lot more than twice the amount
hydrogen atoms as the number of oxygen atoms.
EX: C27H46O cholesterol

76. Quick Review Questions
What Big 4 molecule stores energy for the future?
What are 4 effects of illegal steroid use in men and 3
effects
in women?
What are 4 things proteins do in your body?
What are the functions of lipids?
What is the main function of carbohydrates?

77. Mini Quiz
Examples of the Big 4
• Each of the following foods is high in
one of the Big 4 organic molecules.
Decide which one for each of the
following foods.
–Corn Oil
–Lean Ham
–Bread
–Fish

78. FINALLY- NUCLEIC ACIDS

79. NUCLEIC ACIDS
T H E R E A R E 2 T Y P E S O FT H E R E A R E 2 T Y P E S O F
N U C LE IC A C ID SN U C LE IC A C ID S
D N AD N A R N AR N A

80. Nucleic Acids
1) DNA
• Is our genetic material. Chromosomes are
made of DNA.
• Chromosomes contain the “recipes” to
make proteins for your body.
1) RNA
• Reads the DNA “protein recipes” and
makes the proteins for your body.

81. NUCLEIC ACIDS
•Just as they may sound the DNA nucleic acids areJust as they may sound the DNA nucleic acids are
found inside the control center of many cells.found inside the control center of many cells.
This location and structure is called a nucleus.This location and structure is called a nucleus.
The RNA is found in the nucleus and cytoplasm ofThe RNA is found in the nucleus and cytoplasm of
cells.cells.

82. NUCLEIC ACIDS

83. NUCLEIC ACIDS
Nucleic Acids are chainsNucleic Acids are chains
(polymers) made of monomers.(polymers) made of monomers.
Nucleic acids are made up ofNucleic acids are made up of
Which areWhich are nitrogennitrogen bases…bases…
something we will learn moresomething we will learn more
about when we study DNAabout when we study DNA

84. The shape of a nucleic acid is:

85. Nucleic Acids
Each nucleic acid is made upEach nucleic acid is made up
of…of…
THINK: PONCH“ ”THINK: PONCH“ ”

86. ENERGY
Three of the BIG 4 provideThree of the BIG 4 provide
consumers with energy through theconsumers with energy through the
food they eat:food they eat:
BIG 4
MACROMOLECULES
Number of Calories it
provides
Carbohydrates
Proteins
Lipids
Nucleic Acids

87. ENERGY
Energy that is gained byEnergy that is gained by
consuming food is called aconsuming food is called a

88. Energy that we gain by the
consumption of food is measured
in Calories.
If you drink a glass of skim milk, you
will get a gain of 90 Calories of
energy for your body.

89. Energy Gained From
Carbohydrates
Eating 1 gram of carbohydrate provides
your body with 4 Calories.

91. Energy Gained from Lipids
Eating 1 gram of fat provides your body with
9 Calories.
Notice if you eat 1 gram of fat, you are
gaining more than twice the amount of
Calories than from a gram of
carbohydrate or protein!

92. Nucleic acids
The nucleic acids in food are not
considered a substance that the body
uses to gain energy.

93. So, you won’t find
nucleic acids listed on a
nutrition label!

94. ENERGY
So…So…
BIG 4
MACROMOLECULES
Number of Calories it
provides
Carbohydrates 4
Proteins 4
Lipids 9
Nucleic Acids 0
TEST:TEST: Are you smart? If you eat a sandwhich with 46 grams of carbs and
24 grams of protein and 10 grams of fat, how much energy will you gain?

95. • What elements are found in all of the Big 4
molecules? Which of the Big 4 has different
elements and what are they?
• Since Carbohydrates and Lipids have the same
elements in them, how can you tell the difference?
• Would C26H32O5be a carbohydrate or lipid?
• Which molecule is in the shape of a hexagon?
• Which molecule is in the shape of an E?
• A polymer of amino acids makes what molecule?

96. Which one of the following
molecules is a lipid?
A carbohydrate?
1.) C27H46O
2.) C12H24O12
LipidLipid
CarbohydrateCarbohydrate

97. • What kind of carbohydrate gives you a quick burst of
energy?
• What kind of carbohydrate gives you long term energy?
• You are stranded on a desert island and have found a box
of food. Considering you have almost nothing to eat on
the island, which of the following would be the best food to
have in the box? WHY?
– Crackers
– Butter
– Steak
• How many Calories are found in 1 gram of protein?
• How many Calories are in 1 gram of nucleic acid?

98. Final Review Questions
Please do not look back at the information in your handout until you
have answered all of the following questions.
1. What are 2 examples of simple sugars and 2 examples of complex carbohydrates not mentioned already?
2. What is a polymer?
3. What is a monomer?
4. Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of ________________.
5. Define in your own words:
Biochemical
Macromolecule
6. Proteins are major structural molecules in living things. List 5 places or things in your body that contain a lot of protein.
7. What are enzymes? What are they made of?
8. What are hormones?
9. What does your thyroid hormone do?
10. Name three types of proteins.
11. What are the functions of lipids?
12. What elements are found in each of the Big 4 molecules?
13. What does DNA do? RNA?
14. How many Calories are found in 1 gram of each of the Big 4 molecules?
15. What are 5 possible effects of illegal steroid use?
16. What are 3 functions of lipids?
17. What is the function of waxes?
18. What are 2 ways simple sugars are different from complex carbohydrates?
19. What are 4 organic macromolecules?