BIO 1140 Lecture 3: Lecture 3-4 Cell Chemistry.doc

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Biology
• Course: BIO 1140
• Professor: Kathleen Gilmour

Document Summary

Bio 1140: lecture 3-4: the chemistry of life: cell chemistry happens in an aqueous environment, and at relatively low temperatures, cell chemistry is carbon chemistry. Carbon forms the backbone of essentially all molecules of importance to the cell: carbon forms 4 stable bonds (four valence electrons). The bond energy of a single carbon covalent bond is 70-100 kcal/mol. These molecules are not polar: hydrophobic: (dislikes water) are driven together by water because they are not polar, and therefore cannot be dissolved in water. E. g. oil in water: cell chemistry is hierarchical. Inorganic precursors turn into small organic molecules which are built into macromolecules which combine to make supramolecular structures, which form organelles and structures which make up the cell. Macromolecules: carbohydrates, polymers of monosaccharides (polysaccharides, used for energy storage (starch, glycogen) and structural (cellulose, chitin, monosaccharides: o. Ohc 2 n n n: linear and ring formations can be made and broken within monosaccharides, isomers: same elemental formula, different structure.