The Chemical Composition of

Organisms
What makes compounds inorganic or
organic?

ELEMENTS IN THE CELL

There are about 92 element occurring

naturally in nature.
From these 92 element, only about 25
element are needed to build living organisms.
Not all these element found in all living cell.
Main elements (CHON) are the most
frequently found elements in cells, forming
about 96% of the human body mass.
Trace-elements are the elements are found in
small quantity in cells, but are important in
biological processes.

CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS IN THE CELL

ORGANIC

INORGANIC

Chemical compounds
Chemical compounds
contain carbon
that do not contain
(exception are carbon
carbon
Usually a smaller and
monoxide, carbon
dioxide, carbides and
simpler than organic
carbonates which are
compounds
typically considered as
Founds in cells water,
inorganic)
acids, alkalis and
Are usually found in and
mineral salts
originate from living
organism.
Usually consist of
macromolecules (large
molecules)

There are 4 main group of

organic compounds in cells
Carbohydrates
Lipids
Proteins
Nucleic acids

CARBOHYDRATES
The carbohydrates are made up of carbon,

hydrogen and oxygen. The ratio of

hydrogen to oxygen atoms in a molecule
usually 2:1.
Many carbohydrates have the general
formula CX(H2O)Y, where x is
approximately equal to y.
Three basic types of carbohydrates are
monosaccharide, disaccharides and
polysaccharides

Monosaccharide's
Monosaccharide also called simple sugar
The common monosaccharide are six-carbon

sugar
Examples of monosaccharide are glucose,
fructose (fruit sugar) and galactose
Glucose is the most common monosaccharide
Monosaccharide are sweet-tasting crystalline
substances which are soluble in water

Disaccharides
Disaccharides are formed from two monosaccharide

molecules combining together with the elements of a

molecule of water. The chemical reaction of the
formation is known as condensation.
Disaccharides also called double sugar.
Disaccharides can be broken down to their constituent
monosaccharide by a chemical reaction involving the
addition of water. The reaction is know as hydrolysis.
Like monosaccharide, they are sweet-tasting
crystalline substances that are soluble in water.
The most common disaccharides are maltose, lactose
and sucrose.

Polysaccharides
Many monosaccharide molecules join together

in a condensation reaction (with the removal of

water molecules) to form a large
polysaccharides molecules.
Polymerisation is the process of condensing
many individual monosaccharide molecules to
form a large polysaccharides molecules.
In polymerisation, the individual
monosaccharide molecule are called monomers.
Polymerisation of monosaccharide forms:
Glycogen in humans and animals
Starch and cellulose in plants

Condensation

+ H2 O
Hydrolysis

C6H12O6

C6H12O6

glucose

fructose

C12H22O11
sucrose

Starch structure

water

glucose

glycogen
Sub unit: Glucose
Molecules with many side branches
Major storage of carbohydrates in animals and
fungi, for
examples, in muscle cells and liver cells

glucose

cellulose
Straight unbranched chain of
glucose units
Plant cell wall

Proteins
Proteins are compounds of these element:

carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen sulphur

and phosphorus.
Amino acids are the subunits of all proteins.
Each amino acids carries two functional
group:
A carboxyl group (- COOH) which is acidic
and
An amino group (-NH2) which is basic.

Types of Proteins
Two amino acids can combine together to form a

dipeptide by a condensation reaction between the

carboxyl group of one and the amino group of the
other. The resulting a bond linking the two amino
acids that is called a peptide bond.
Long chains of amino acids are called polypeptides.
A polypeptide is formed by the condensation reaction
of many amino acids, with the removal of water.
A polypeptide chain can also be hydrolysed, with the
addition of water molecules to form individual amino
acids.

H2O

cooh
C
c
NH2

Hn
h
hooc

condensation

Peptide bond

c
nh2 hooc

h
n

LIPIDS
Lipids a diverse group of substance that

contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, but in

different proportions to carbohydrate's.
All lipids are insoluble in water
Lipids dissolve readily in other lipids and in
organic solvent such as ether and ethanol.
The main types of lipids are:
Fats, energy-storing molecule
Oils, energy-storing molecule
Phospholipids, an important component of the

cell membrane
Steroids, act as hormones and vitamins

Vitamins
Organic molecules that are required for

normal functioning.
Animals are able to synthesise some
vitamins but most are sourced from diet
Vitamins are either water or lipid soluble
Water soluble vitamins are not stored in the
body
Lipid soluble vitamins can be stored
Vitamins are essential for enzyme
development

Nucleic Acids
Is genetic material, it codes what makes up

an organism
Deoxyribonucleic Acid, DNA, codes our
genes
Ribonucleic acid, RNA, is DNA that has
been transcribed.

Inorganic Compounds
Water, where life evolved and reactions take

place
Oxygen (21%) and carbon dioxide (0.033%)
Nitrogen (78%) a key component of proteins
Minerals such as calcium and potassium
The skeletal structure contains 99% of the bodies

calcium, the phosphate salts in calcium provide

the mechanical rigidity bones need to bear loads.