biochemical compounds

Biochemical CompoundsYou are what you eat!

Why Do We Eat?• For energy • For nutrients• For sport??

6 Types of Nutrients:

• Carbohydrates• Fats (Lipids)• Proteins• Vitamins• Minerals• Water

CARBOHYDRATES• “CARB” is not a four-letter word!• Refers to the “sugar” family• Contain C, H, & O• Examples:

– Glucose, fructose, sucrose, lactose, etc.

– Starch, cellulose,etc.

Simple CHO’s:• Monomer:

– one building block of a larger molecule• Monosaccharide:

– 1 molecule of a sugar (e.g. 1 glucose)– Glucose, fructose, galactose, ribose

Glucose: (C6H12O6)

Simple CHO’s:• Disaccharide:

– 2 sugars linked together– Eg. Sucrose, fructose

Complex CHO’s• Polymer:

– 2 or more monomers linked together• Polysaccharide:

– 3 or more sugars linked together in chains– E.g. Starch & Cellulose in plants– E.g. Glycogen in animals

Complex CHO’s

Why CARBs?• CHO’s provide the body with immediate energy

needs• Should be 50 – 55% of your calories • 4 calories per gram of CHO• Sources:

– Fruits, vegetables, grains, breads, pasta, cereals, etc.

Low CARB Diets???

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FATS (LIPIDS)• You are what you eat???

FATS• Fats are a necessary evil… they are a

tremendous source of energy!• 9 calories per gram• Should be 30% of calories • 4 “fat-soluble” vitamins (D, E, A, K)

FATS• Efficient way for the body

to store calories• Any excess calories are

stored as fat in fat cells (adipose tissue)

FATS• Are made up of chains of C & H called

fatty acids• Triglyceride:

– a glycerol molecule linking 3 fatty acids

Types of Fat• Saturated Fats:

– Solid at room temperature– found in butter, meat, etc. (animal fats)– all carbons are “saturated” with hydrogen

Types of Fat• Unsaturated fats:

– Liquid at room temperature, usually called oils– Plant Fats: canola oil, olive oil, corn oil, etc.– Fatty acids contain double bonds (missing H’s)

Unsaturated Fats:• Monounsaturated Fat:

– Contain 1 double bond• Polyunsaturated Fat:

– Contain more than 1 double bond

Why is the Type of Fat Important?

FATTY ISSUES!• High fat = high

calorie!• High fat = increase

health problems (diabetes, CHD, stroke, etc.)

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PROTEIN:

The building blocks of

life!

PROTEIN:• Used to make and repair many of the

structures of our body• Proteins are chains of amino acids linked

together

PROTEIN:• Also important as messengers (enzymes)

Adrenalin

PROTEINS:• All proteins are created from only 20 different

amino acids• Your body can make 12 of these (“non-

essential AA”), the other 8 you must get from food (“essential AA”)

Amino Acids:• All AA’s have the same general structure, but

one portion of the molecule varies (“R group”)

PROTEIN:• Should be 15 – 20 % of our calories.• Sources:

– Meat, fish, cheese, eggs, beans, etc.

PROTEIN… Can There Be Too Much of a Good Thing?

• Recommended intake is around 1 g per kg of body weight (more for children and extreme athletes)

• Most North Americans take in around twice the RDA!

Nucleic AcidsBreaking the “Code”

Nucleic Acids• (DNA, RNA) essential to all

living things.• Polymers formed from

monomer molecules called nucleotides.

• A nucleotide contains:

1) A nitrogenous base

2) A 5 carbon pentose sugar

3) A Phosphate group

Nucleic Acids• Nitrogenous bases in

DNA are Adenine (A), Thymine (T), Guanine (G), and Cytosine (C).

• In RNA, Thymine is replaced by Uracil (U)

• Phosphate groups and sugar molecules form backbone of the chain, bases stick out like the teeth on a zipper.

2 Types of Nucleic Acids1. DNA (Deoxyribonucleic

Acid)

• The genetic code for all proteins and life functions.

• 2 nucleotide strands linked by Hydrogen bonds between nitrogenous bases (A & T, C & G).

• A double helix.• Unique genetic information is

determined by the sequence of nucleotides.

2 Types of Nucleic Acids2. RNA (Ribonucleic Acid)

• copy of code for 1 protein.• RNA carries the “protein

blueprint” from nucleus to the ribosome during protein synthesis.

• Single nucleotide strand containing A, U, C & G.

How long is DNA?• There are billions of

base pairs in each DNA molecule.

• The total length of DNA in each cell is 2 metres!

• Your total DNA is long enough to reach the moon and back… 6000 times!!

The End!!!