2.1 Chemical Reactions in Cells

Target Language or Knowledge:

A chemical reaction is when a bond between atoms are broken and new bonds are formed. Carbohydrates provide the cell with energy. Sugar is a simple carbohydrate. Starch and cellulose are complex carbohydrates. Lipids are the fats, oils, and waxes found in living things. Proteins are made of smaller molecules called amino acids. Nucleic acids are the molecules that hold the instructions for the maintenance, growth, and reproduction of a cell. DNA and RNA are the two types of nucleic acids. DNA provides the information used by the cell for making proteins a cell needs. About two-thirds of every cell is water. All of the chemical reactions inside the cell take place in water. A water molecule consists of two atoms of hydrogen bonded to one atom of oxygen. The cell membrane is made of a double layer of lipids. All matter in the universe can be broken down into basic substances called elements. The smallest unit of any element is called an atom. There are four main types of large molecules - carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Nucleic acids store and translate the genetic information a cell needs to function.

physical Lipids Cereal Carbon Sugars Carbohydrates DNA Nucleotides RNA one-fourth mitochondria carbon proteins cells cell cellulose DNA

Draw a lipid as it relates to the cell membrane and explain the significance of the head and tail.