Nucleic Acids Made of: 5 carbon sugars, phosphate groups and nitrogen bases. Functions: carries hereditary information (instructions for making proteins!!) Functional unit (subunit): nucleotides Examples: DNA & RNA (there are only 2!)

DNA & RNA

Proteins Made of: C, H, O, N & lots of other elements Functions: Structure, hormones, communication, catalysts Functional unit (subunit): amino acids

Examples: neurotransmitters, enzymes Other Info: 1) Polypeptide = chain of amino acids, proteins are chains of several polypeptide chains. 2+ amino acids  polypeptides  proteins 2) Peptide bonds = the bonds between the amino aids that make up proteins.

3) There are only about 20 amino acids. 4) The shape of a protein determines its function. (Shape is determined by the R groups on the amino acids)

Amino acids

Protein Shapes

SPECIAL NOTES ABOUT ENZYMES… Enzymes are “special proteins”. 2) Enzymes help speed up chemical reactions. (They are catalysts!) 3) Enzymes are VERY specific about the substrate they react with.

4) Enzymes are not altered in chemical reactions & can be reused. 5) pH & temperature will affect how enzymes work. 6) The name of the enzyme usually says what it does and usually ends in –ase (lactase, galactase, DNA polymerase, etc…)

Enzymes at work – “lock & key”