BIOMOLECULES

• BIOMOLECULESMolecules that occur naturally in living organisms.
• BIOMOLECULES

  • Molecules that occur naturally in living organisms.
• Water is the main inorganic compound in all living organisms. If water evaporated, the remaining dry weight of all living organisms would consist of molecules containing carbon atoms.
• Carbon is often called the building block of life because these atoms are the basis for forming the structures of living things and carry out most of life’s functions.
• Carbon-containing molecules are called organic compounds. Organic molecules are also known as macromolecules due to their relatively large size as compared to inorganic compounds.
• A chain of carbon atoms is called a carbon skeleton, and this can bond with carbon rings to form even larger or more complex molecules.
• Carbohydrates 

  • are the main sources or abundant sources of energy in food.
• Calorie is a unit used to describe the amount of energy contained in food.
• 4 calories per gram contained in carbohydrates
• Any ingredients that ends in “ose” are known as sugar
• Monosaccharide

  • Greek word “monos” means single and “saccar” means sugar
  • The simplest form of carbohydrate with the chemical formula of  C6H12O6 
• Glucose

  • Also known as dextrose.
  • Only form of sugar used in the body that provides energy to fuel all cellular processes.
  • Most abundant carbohydrate in the blood which is why it is also called blood sugar.
  • It requires no digestion and may be given intravenously to patients who cannot take food by mouth.  
• Fructose

  • Considered the sweetest among the sugar
  • It is found in fruits, honey, and corn syrups
  • Metabolize directly, but is also readily converted to glucose in the liver.
• Galactose

  • It is obtained from milk and is an important component that serves as a marker that can help identify blood types.
  • Less than half as sweet as glucose
• Disaccharide 

  • Two monosaccharides joined together with the formula of C12H22O11
  • The bonds that join two simple sugars are called glycosidic bonds
  • It should be broken down into simple sugar through the process of hydrolysis  before it can serve as fuel for cellular activities.
• Sucrose

  • Commonly known as table sugar (glucose + fructose)

  Considered an excellent natural preservative
• Lactose

  • Found in milk and milk products
  • Formed by combining glucose and galactose
  • An enzyme called lactase is needed to digest this.
  • Lactose intolerance is a common digestive disorder where the body cannot fully digest lactose.
• Maltose

  • Also known as malt sugar
  • Found in beer 
  • Composed of two glucose
• Polysaccharides

  • are made up of repeating units of sugar joined together by glycosidic bonds.
  • These can be classified as structural polysaccharides which are components of structural parts of living things such as cell walls of plants and animals, and storage of polysaccharides which serve as storage of energy.
• Starch

  • A storage carbohydrate in plants composed entirely of glucose molecules.
  • A starch molecule may contain as many as 200 glucose molecules
  • Commonly found in potato tubers, cassava, carrots, corn, and cereals. 
  • Easily digested by most animals because the enzyme amylase needed to hydrolyze the compound is present in animals.
• Glycogen

  • A storage carbohydrate in animals, which accumulates in the liver and muscle cells of vertebrates.
  • Also made up of entirely glucose, but more glucose units than starch
• Cellulose

  • The most abundant organic compound on earth which can be found in plant cell walls.
  • The cellulose in plant foods passes unchanged through our digestive tract commonly known as fiber.
  • It keeps our digestive tract healthy, but it does not serve as a nutrient