Common household items (chemicals) found in cells Assignment

Common household items (chemicals) found in cells - Assignment Example Due to its large presence, it acts as the main solvent in a cell. This is why most of the chemical reactions taking place in the body involve molecules (solutes) that are dissolved in water (solvent). Chemical reactions require aqueous medium to take place, thus water’s role is verified. A cell that lacks sufficient water tends to get shrink and dehydrated. Cells getting dehydrated leads to total dehydration of human body which is fatal. Thus, water, like oxygen, is a very important constituent of cell. Now, we talk about inorganic compounds of a cell that are also found in common household. Carbohydrates are other important carbon-based chemicals/molecules that give energy to the cell. Since most carbohydrates are sweet, these are commonly known as sugars. These are called Monosaccharide, Disaccharides and Polysaccharides. Monosaccharides comprise of glucose and since, glucose is the most abundant monosaccharide in blood, it is also referred to as blood sugar. The breakdown of simple sugars, like glucose, â€Å"provides both a source of cellular energy and the starting material for the synthesis of other cell constituents† (Cooper, 2000). Two monosaccharides combine to form a disaccharide. For example, glucose combines with fructose to form sucrose, and when glucose combines with galactose, then lactose is formed which is milk sugar. Many monosaccharides combine to form polysaccharides. Here, chains of glucose molecules combine to form glycogen and starch, found in animal a nd plant cells respectively. Lipids or, in other words, fats are also found in cells. These lipids are divided into categories namely fatty acids, triglycerides, phospholipids and steroids. Lipids are not only a main component of cell membrane but also act as energy and neutral fat storage. These also act as a protective layer around the cell to prevent abnormal activities like extra water coming in and out.