The chemicals of life

The composition of our bodies

Protein 20% of
Fats
Carbohydrates
Minerals
Vitamins
Water

the body weight

15%~30%
1.5%
8%
very few

Importance of water
1. Water is a major component of cells
In most organisms, almost 80% of body
is made up of water.
Cytoplasm is water solution, 90% of
cytoplasm is water.
The spaces between cells are filled with a
watery liquid.

2. Water is a solvent
Many chemicals can be dissolved in
water.
In water, these chemicals can react in
metabolism.
3. Water is transport medium
Plasma, the liquid part of blood, makes
substances dissolved in it and move
around the body.
Water help us to get rid of the waste
product urea from body in urine.

4. Water makes our body easier to achieve a

stable body temperature.
Water help us to keep cool. When we are
too hot, the sweat glands release sweat,
which is mostly water. The water in sweat
evaporates, and this cools us down.

Carbohydrates

Starch and sugar are carbohydrates

Glucose is a simple sugar
Sucrose is a complex sugar
Starch is a polysaccharide
Living organism get energy from
carbohydrates

 Molecule
formula:
C6H12O6
6 carbon
atoms joined
in a ring with
hydrogen
and oxygen
atoms
pointing out
from the
ring.

Glucose
Structure formula

Maltose
Simple sugar molecules join together to
make a complex sugar.
Sucrose and maltose are called
disaccharide.

Starch and cellulose

Many simple sugar
join together to
make a
polysaccharide.
Starch is a
polysaccharide and
so is the cellulose of
plant cell walls.
Polysaccharides are
insoluble and do not
taste sweet.

Fats (Lipids)
Fats made of glycerol and fatty acids.
Fats contain only three kinds of atom,
which are carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
A fat molecule is made of four molecules
joined together. (one glycerol and 3 fatty
acids)
Fats are insoluble in water.
Fats that are liquid at room temperature
are called oils.

Fats are good storage products

A gram of fat give about 39kJ of energy.
The extra energy which fats contain makes
them very useful for storing energy.
Fats and oils can be used in a cell release
energy.
Most cells use carbohydrates first when
they need energy.

 In mammals, some cells become filled with

large drops of fats or oils. The layer of cells
is called adipose tissue.
In addition to store energy, adipose tissue
beneath the skin helps keep the body
heat.
In many plants, oils stored in seeds
provide energy to germination.

Fats are in foods from plants

and animals
Plant seeds
e.g., peanut,
coconut (
), castor
oil ( ).
Butter, milk,
meat, French
fries,
chocolate

Proteins
Protein molecules not only contain carbon,
hydrogen and oxygen, but also contain
nitrogen and small amounts of sulfur.
Protein molecules are made of smaller
molecules, amino acids.
There are about 20 different kinds of
amino acids.
Amino acids are joined end to end to form
a protein.

Amino
acid
H2Namino
group
( )
-COOH
carboxyl
group
( )

 Some proteins are soluble in water, e.g.,

haemoglobin ( );
Some proteins are insoluble in water, e.g.,
keratin ( ). Hair and fingernails are
made of keratin.

Main functions
of Proteins
Proteins are
normally not used to
provide energy.
Proteins in food are
broken down to
amino acids, which
are then used in
cells for making new
proteins to keep our
growth and repair.

 A part of cell membranes and cytoplasm

are proteins.
Enzymes are proteins, which speed up
chemical reaction in our body.
Antibodies are proteins, which fight
disease in our body.
Muscles are made up of lots proteins,
which give us ability to move.

Plant foods and animal foods

are good sources of protein
Plants combine the carbohydrates with
ammonium ions and nitrate ions to make
amino acids. Amino acids are then linked
into a long chain to make a protein.
We break down food protein to amino
acids, and then join these amino acids to
our proteins.
Good proteins sources are meat, fish, agg
and poultry.