Inorganic Matter

Objectives

When you have completed this section, you should be able to

• discuss the properties of water, how they result from its molecular structure, and why they are important to human life; and
• explain the roles of minerals and gases in human form and function.

Think About It

Why are heat and temperature not the same thing?

Key Point Review

1. Explain how the bond angle and polar covalent bonds of the water molecule account for its biologically important properties.

2. Define the term calorie.

3. Discuss the major functions of minerals in the body.

Carbon and Organic Molecules

Objectives

When you have completed this section, you should be able to

• explain why carbon is better suited than any other element to serve as the structural foundation of most biomolecules;
• name and diagram some common functional groups of organic molecules; and
• explain what monomers and polymers are, and how they are related to each other through dehydration synthesis and hydrolysis.

Key Point Review

4. Explain why no other element could serve as well as carbon as a backbone for biomolecules.

5. Define monomer and polymer.

6. To what branch of metabolism do you think polymerization belongs-oxidation or reduction? Synthesis or decomposition? Explain each answer.

Carbohydrates

Objectives

When you have completed this section, you should be able to

• explain how carbohydrates differ from other biomolecules;
• list the major monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides; and
• list the physiological functions of carbohydrates.

Think About It

Why is carbohydrate an appropriate name for this class of compounds? Relate this name to the generalized formula of carbohydrates.

Key Point Review

7. What is a carbohydrate?

8. How is the structural difference between a monosaccharide and a polysaccharide related to dehydration synthesis and hydrolysis?

9. List the three major disaccharides of physiological importance and identify the monosaccharides that each is made of.

10. List five functions of carbohydrates.

Lipids

Objectives

When you have completed this section, you should be able to

• explain how lipids differ from other biomolecules;
• list six major classes of lipids and describe their differences; and
• list some of the functions of lipids.

Key Point Review

11. What are lipids? What do they have in common with carbohydrates and how do they differ from them?

12. How do prostaglandins differ from other fatty acids?

13. What is the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats?

14. How do phospholipids differ from triglycerides?

15. State one function of each of the following molecules: triglycerides, phospholipids, prostaglandins, and steroids.

Proteins

Objectives

When you have completed this section, you should be able to

• diagram the structure of a generalized amino acid and show how peptide bonds are formed between amino acids;
• describe the four levels of protein structure;
• describe some nonprotein moieties that are often bound to proteins; and
• list the physiological functions of proteins.

Key Point Review

16. Draw two amino acids side by side and show how they would be joined by a peptide bond.

17. Compare and contrast the four levels of protein structure.

18. What level of protein structure could be disrupted by a chemical that breaks disulfide bonds?

19. Discuss how the tertiary structure of proteins exemplifies the unity of form and function.

Enzymes and Metabolism

Objectives

When you have completed this section, you should be able to

• define enzyme and explain how enzymes are named;
• explain how enzymes accelerate metabolic reactions;
• describe the structure of an enzyme and relate this structure to its function; and
• explain how metabolic pathways can be regulated by enzymes.

Think About It

Why do polysaccharides lack the diversity of tertiary structures that proteins have? Why are proteins better suited to serve as enzymes?

Think About It

Why is a high fever dangerous? What does this have to do with homeostasis?

Key Point Review

20. How is enzyme function related to activation energy?

21. To say that a substrate fits its enzyme like a key fits a specific lock is an oversimplification. Explain why.

22. Explain how tertiary structure is related to enzyme-substrate specificity.

23. Explain why denaturation destroys enzyme activity.

24. How is a coenzyme different from a cofactor?

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)

Objectives

When you have completed this section, you should be able to

• describe or diagram the structure of ATP;
• discuss the metabolic importance of ATP;
• explain how ATP releases energy; and
• distinguish between aerobic and anaerobic pathways of ATP synthesis.

Key Point Review

25. What are the three main structural components of an ATP molecule?

26. Explain how the structure of ATP is changed in the process of releasing energy.

27. Name two metabolic pathways in which ATP is produced. Compare the amount of ATP produced by each pathway.

28. Discuss the similarities and differences between ATP and the nucleotide shown in figure 5.3.

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