Essay on the Chemicals of Life
All biological organisms are made up from a series of closely related chemicals, all derived from the atoms carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen. Indeed it is the presence of the atom carbon that distinguishes organic (living) matter from inorganic (non-living) matter. Very few inorganic materials contain carbon, whilst all organic materials do. The constituent atoms make up a series of molecules of varying sizes and complexities. Depending on the configuration of the atoms these can form proteins, fats, carbohydrates and nucleic acids. These chemical molecules form the structures of virtually all organisms. They can thus be deemed chemicals of life as these chemicals form the structures that make up living things and share great similarities, even between species. The structures that comprise the building blocks of life are cells and tissues and, even when the organism varies widely, the individual molecules that make up the cells remain essentially similar.
This account will outline the basic structure of the building blocks of all organisms and show how important the constituent chemicals are.
Proteins as chemicals of life
Proteins are uniquely responsible for many of the functions of life (Seeley, Stephens & Tate 2003). Their structural basis comes from amino acids, which are a series of 20 molecules comprising an amino group (NH2), carboxyl group (COOH) a single hydrogen atom, and a further group of atoms of varying size and complexity (R group) attached to a carbon atom (Stryer 1988). More important than the individual structures of amino acids is the way that they can join together to form an almost infinite variety of ways. The individual amino acids form long chains that then twist and fold creating a tertiary and quaternary structure. The bonds that can then form between and within chains confer further unique properties upon the structure.
Proteins are able to act as…
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Tags: amino acids, carbohydrates, fats, metabolism, nucleic acids, organic, organism, proteins
