Elements Found in Living Things

Elements & Macromolecules in Organisms
Most common elements in living things are carbon, hydrogen,

nitrogen, and oxygen. These four elements constitute about 95%
of your body weight. All compounds can be classified in two broad
categories --- organic and inorganic compounds. Organic
compounds are made primarily of carbon. Carbon has four outer
electrons and can form four bonds. Carbon can form single bonds
with another atom and also bond to other carbon molecules forming
double, triple, or quadruple bonds. Organic compounds also
contain hydrogen. Since hydrogen has only one electron, it can form
only single bonds.
Each small organic molecule can be a unit of a large organic
molecule called a macromolecule. There are four classes of
macromolecules (polysaccharides or carbohydrates, triglycerides or
lipids, polypeptides or proteins, and nucleic acids such as DNA & RNA).
Carbohydrates and lipids are made of only carbon, hydrogen, and
oxygen (CHO). Proteins are made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and
nitrogen (CHON). Nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA contain carbon,
hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus (CHON P).
Use the drawing of the amino acid on this worksheet (look ahead to
another page for this sketch and remember that the NUMBER OF
LINES from a single atom is their NUMBER OF BONDS) to determine
the number of bonds formed by:
______ Oxygen
_______Hydrogen
_______ Nitrogen
The body also needs trace amounts of other elements such as

calcium, potassium, and sulfur for proper functioning of muscles,
nerves, etc. Color each of the elements on the next page according
to the color listed next to the element's symbol. Then Color code the
squirrel with the correct proportion of each element's color. Now
color code the carrot with the same colors as you used on the squirrel.
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Questions:
1. Name the 4 main elements that make up 95% of an organism.
2. Name the 4 types of bonds carbon can form.
3. What are macromolecules?
4. Name the 4 classes of macromolecules.

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5. Give 2 examples of nucleic acids.

6. What elements make up carbohydrates & lipids (symbols)?
7. Name 3 elements your body needs trace amounts of for proper
functioning.
The four main classes of organic compounds (carbohydrates,

lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids) that are essential to the proper
functioning of all living things are known as polymers or
macromolecules. All of these compounds are built primarily of
carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen but in different ratios. This gives
each compound different properties.
Carbohydrates are used by the body for energy and structural
support in cell walls of plants and exoskeletons of insects and
crustaceans. They are made of smaller subunits called
monosaccharides. Monosaccharides have carbon, hydrogen, and
oxygen in a 1:2:1 ratio. Monosaccharides or simple sugars include
glucose, galactose, and fructose. Although their chemical
formulas are the same, they have different structural formulas.
These simple sugars combine to make disaccharides (double sugars
like sucrose) and polysaccharides (long chains like cellulose, chitin,
and glycogen). Color code the glucose molecule on this worksheet
(carbon-black, hydrogen-yellow, and oxygen-red). Use your
textbook to help draw the structural formulas for fructose and
galactose: (p55)
Fructose:
Galactose:
Use the diagram of glucose to tell how many carbons, hydrogens, and
oxygens are in a single molecule.
#C __________
# H __________
# O __________
Glucose Molecule
H
O
H
H
C
O
H
H
C
C
O
H
C
C
O
Questions:
8. Macromolecules are also known as _____________.
9. If all the macromolecules are made mainly of the elements CHO,
how are they different?
10. Name 2 ways your body uses carbohydrates.

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11. What are the subunits called that make up carbohydrates?

12. What is the ratio of C, H, and O in monosaccharides?
13. Name 3 monosaccharides.
14. Monosaccharides are ___________ sugars.
15. What are disaccharides & give an example?
16. Long chains of sugars are ______________. Name three.
Proteins are made of subunits called amino acids and are used to build
cells and do much of the work inside organisms. They also act as
enzymes helping to control metabolic reactions in organisms. Amino
acids contain two functional groups, the carboxyl group (-COOH)
and the amino group (-NH2).
Use your textbook and sketch the amino and carboxyl groups. (p56)
Amino group
Carboxyl group
Color code the amino acid on this worksheet (carbon-black, hydrogenyellow, nitrogen-blue, and oxygen-red).
Basic Structure of Amino acid
H
H
N
C
R group
O
C
H
Enzymes are protein molecules that act as biological catalysts.

Cells contain thousands of different enzymes to control the
functions of the cell. Enzymes must physically fit a specific
substrate(s) to work properly. The place where a substrate fits an
enzyme to be catalyzed is called the active site. Excess heat, a
change in pH from neutral, etc. change the shape of enzymes and
their active sites so the enzyme is unable to work. Some enzymes
have a second site where a coenzyme attaches to help make the
substrate better fit the active site of the enzyme. Color the
enzyme purple, the substrate yellow, and the coenzyme green. Also
color the active site red.
Enzyme-Substrate Complex
Condensation (removal of a water molecule) links amino acids link
together to form chains called polypeptides. Polypeptide chains join
to form proteins. The bonds holding amino acids to each other are
known as peptide bonds. Use your textbook to make a sketch of a
dipeptide (2 amino acids linked with a peptide bond) molecule. (p59)
Dipeptide Sketch:
Questions:
17. What subunits make up proteins?
18. Proteins also act as __________ in cells to control reactions.
19. Name the 2 functional groups in amino acids.
20. Cells have ________ of enzymes to act as biological __________.
21. Enzymes have an attachment site called the __________ site for
the __________ to join.
22. What is the effect of excess heat or temperature on an enzyme?
23. Amino acids are linked together to make proteins by removing a

molecule of ________ in a process called ____________.
24. Chains of amino acids make _______________ which can join
together to make a __________.
25. __________ bonds form when water is removed to hold

_________ acids together.
Lipids are large, nonpolar (won't dissolve in water) molecules.
Phospholipids make up cell membranes. Lipids also serve as waxy
coverings (cuticle) on plants, pigments (chlorophyll), and steroids.
Lipids have more carbon and hydrogen atoms than oxygen atoms.
Fats are made of a glycerol (alcohol) and three fatty acid chains.
This subunit is called a triglyceride. Color the glycerol molecule
using the same colors for carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen as you did
before. The fatty acid chains may be saturated (only single bonds
between carbons) or unsaturated (contain at least one double bond).
A carboxyl functional group (-COOH) is found on the end of the
fatty acid that does NOT attach to glycerol. CIRCLE AND LABEL
the carboxyl groups in the 2 fatty acids on this worksheet. Color
the fatty acid chains the same colors for carbon, hydrogen, and
oxygen as you did before. A special type of lipid called
phospholipids help make up the cell membrane. Two layers of these
phospholipids make up the membrane. Phospholipids have a "waterloving" hydrophilic head and two "water-fearing" hydrophobic tails.
Find the cell membrane on this sheet and CIRCLE AND LABEL a
phospholipid. Proteins are also embedded in the cell membrane.
Color the two proteins in the cell membrane blue.
Glycerol
H
H
Saturated fatty Acid
O
C
O
H
Unsaturated Fatty Acid - Double Bond
Cell Membrane
O
C
O
H
Questions:
26. Lipids are nonpolar. What does this mean?
27. What WILL lipids (oils and fats) dissolve in? (Question for
thought)
28. _________________ makes up cell membranes.
29. Name a waxy lipid covering plants.
30. Plant pigments like ______________ are also __________.
31. Lipids have more ___________ and _______ than they do oxygen
atoms.
32. Fats are made of an alcohol called __________ and three
__________ _________ chains. This is known as a
____________.
33. If there are all SINGLE bonds between _______ in the fatty acid
chain, then it is said to be ____________.
34. If there is a DOUBLE bond between _________ in the fatty acid
chain, then it is said to be ____________.
35. The end of the fatty acid that does NOT attach to glycerol has
what functional group? Write the formula for this group.
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36. _______ layers of ____________ make up the cell membrane.

37. The head of a phospholipid __________ water and is said to be
______________.
38. The 2 tails of a phospholipid __________ water and is said to be
______________.
Nucleic acids carry the genetic information in a cell. DNA or
deoxyribose nucleic acid contains all the instructions for making
every protein needed by a living thing. RNA copies and transfers
this genetic information so that proteins can be made. The subunits
that make up nucleic acids are called nucleotides.
COLOR AND LABEL the parts of a nucleotide --- sugar (5-sided)green, phosphate group (round)-yellow, and nitrogen base (6sided)-blue. ATP used for cellular energy is a high energy
nucleotide with three phosphate groups. Color code the ATP and
LABEL THE PHOSPHATES.
Nucleotide
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ATP
Questions:
39. Nucleic acids carry __________ information in a molecule called
____________ or _____________ ___________ acid.
40. DNA has the instructions for making a cell's ____________.
41. The nucleic acid _________ copies DNA so _________ can be
made.
42. __________ are the subunits making up nucleic acid.
43. The 3 parts of a nucleotide are a 5 carbon ________, a phosphate,
and a nitrogen __________.
44. ________ is a high energy molecule made from a ___________
with _______ phosphates.
Final Questions:
1. Give the symbols for the elements that make up each of the following:
______carbohydrates ______lipids ______DNA ______proteins
2. Name the 4 classes of macromolecules & give a function for each.
3. Name the subunits that make up each of the macromolecules.

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4. Enzymes can be denatured (unfolded) by what environmental factors?

5. What process is used to link amino acids together?
6. Name the bonds found between amino acids in a polypeptide chain.
7. Explain the difference between a disaccharide and a polysaccharide. Give an

example of each.
8. What two functional groups are found in amino acids?

9. Why are enzymes important to organisms?
10. Name the subunit that makes up fats.

11. What alcohol is found in a triglyceride?
12. What is the difference between a saturated and unsaturated fatty acid?
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Elements & Macromolecules in Organisms

Most common elements in living things are carbon, hydrogen,

The body also needs trace amounts of other elements such as

2. Name the 4 types of bonds carbon can form.

3. What are macromolecules?

4. Name the 4 classes of macromolecules.

5. Give 2 examples of nucleic acids.

The four main classes of organic compounds (carbohydrates,

10. Name 2 ways your body uses carbohydrates.

11. What are the subunits called that make up carbohydrates?

16. Long chains of sugars are ______________. Name three.

Enzymes are protein molecules that act as biological catalysts.

23. Amino acids are linked together to make proteins by removing a

25. __________ bonds form when water is removed to hold

Saturated fatty Acid

Unsaturated Fatty Acid - Double Bond

36. _______ layers of ____________ make up the cell membrane.

3. Name the subunits that make up each of the macromolecules.

4. Enzymes can be denatured (unfolded) by what environmental factors?

7. Explain the difference between a disaccharide and a polysaccharide. Give an

8. What two functional groups are found in amino acids?

10. Name the subunit that makes up fats.

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36. _ layers of ______ make up the cell membrane.