Biomolecules

• Biomolecule are the building blocks of cells and are involved in nearly every function that supports life.
• Four Biomolecules

  • nucleic acids
  • proteins
  • carbohydrates
  • lipids
• Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for most organisms. They are built of small repeating units that form bonds with each other to make a larger molecule.
• The small repeating units in carbohydrates are called monosaccharides.
• Carbohydrates:

  • monosaccharides
  • disaccharides
  • polysaccharides
• Monosaccharides are the simplest carbohydrates because they cannot be changed to smaller carbohydrates.
• Simple Sugars:

  Fructose - fruits

  Glucose - digestion of other carbohydrates
• Glucose is used for energy by the cells of most organisms and is a product of photosynthesis.
• Disaccharides are sugar molecules made up of two monosaccharides bonded together such as sucrose.
• Sucrose is fructose + glucose.
• Polysaccharides are a complex carbohydrate that forms when simple sugars bind together in a chain. They may contain just a few simple sugars or thousands of them. Storing energy and forming structures of living things.
• Example of Polysaccharides

  • starch - plants
  • glycogen - animals
  • cellulose - rigid walls for plants
• Proteins are organic compounds made up of small molecules called amino acids, and they help form enzymes, muscle fibers, and antibodies. They are essential for growth, repair, and carrying out cell functions.
• The largest known proteins are called titins, which are found in muscle and is composed of over 27,000 amino acids.
• Roles of Proteins

  • structural - helps cells keep their shape
  • connective and motor - makes up muscle tissues
  • transport - transport items in and out of the cell
  • enzymes - speed up chemical reactions in the cell
  • antibodies - bind to foreign substances and target them for destruction
  • hemoglobin - binds with oxygen and allow blood to transport oxygen from lung cells to another
• Lipids provide insulation and help protect organs, as well as play a role in cell signaling.
• Lipids is an organic compound with a property of chemically not being able to mix with H2O or being at least partially hydrophobic.
• Why are lipids hydrophobic?

  because they have different polar molecules.
• Lipids consists of repeating units called fatty acids.
• Fatty Acids are building blocks of the fat in our bodies and the food we eat.
• Types of Fatty Acids

  • saturated - used by animals to store energy
  • unsaturated - used by plants to store energy
• Nucleic Acids such as DNA and RNA, store and transmit genetic information.
• DNA holds the instructions for building proteins and passing on hereditary traits.
• Nucleic Acids are built of small units called nucleotides which bind together to form a chain called polynucleotide.
• 1 nucleotide consists of a sugar, phosphate group, and a nitrogen base.
• DNA - cytosine, guanine, adenine, thymine

  RNA - cytosine, guanine, adenine, uracil
• Each type of base binds with just one other type of base. These pairs of bases are called complementary base pairs.
• Proteins are essential for growth, repair, and carrying out cell functions.
• Saturated - carbon atoms are bonded to as many hydrogen atoms as possible. They become solid at room temperature.
• Unsaturated - some carbon atoms are not bonded to as many hydrogen atoms as possible. One or double carbon-to-carbon bonds in the chain causing the shape to bend.