Zoology 2

• Macromolecules are essential to the functioning of the human body.
• Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy.
• Lipids provide stored energy reserves, allowing us to survive when carbohydrates are not being supplied to the body.
• Protein helps us stay strong, by forming new bones and muscles, and helping us fight diseases.
• Nucleic acids are responsible for making each person functional and unique; they are the blueprint for our genetic structure.
• Carbohydrates are formed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms with a ratio of 1:2:1.
• The two categories of carbohydrates include sugar and starch.
• Glucose is an example of a simple sugar.
• The smallest unit of saccharides is a monosaccharide.
• Examples of monosaccharides include Glucose & Fructose.
• Monosaccharides combine together to form disaccharides.
• Examples of disaccharides include Lactose & Sucrose.
• Carbohydrates are composed of saccharides.
• Monosaccharides are also referred to as Simple Sugars.
• Starches are polysaccharide chains made from 300 - 1000 glucose units.
• Monosaccharides can also form larger carbohydrates such as oligosaccharides and polysaccharides.
• Oligosaccharides are chains of 3 - 10 monosaccharides.
• Polysaccharides are the largest unit of carbohydrates.
• Enzymes in the mouth, stomach, and small intestine, breakdown the carbohydrate molecules.
• These large complex carbohydrate molecules breakdown into simple sugars.
• Our bodies use special protein molecules called enzymes to break the larger molecules into smaller pieces.
• Enzymes are catalysts, chemicals that quicken a chemical reaction without undergoing any change themselves.
• Activation Energy is the energy needed to start a reaction.
• An enzyme is a protein catalyst that speeds up biological reactions by lowering the activation energy.
• Some life processes are too slow when they occur on their own, but enzymes help speed them up.
• Each enzyme is very specific and only attaches to one type of molecule.
• The molecule the enzyme acts upon is called its substrate.
• Variables that impact enzyme activity include temperature and pH.
• Enzymes in the stomach and small intestine break the polypeptides down into individual amino acids.
• Bile and enzymes in the small intestine break lipids down into small molecules of fatty acids and glycerol.
• Fats made from unsaturated fatty acids are called unsaturated fats or oils, and are liquid at room temperature.
• These molecules are made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms.
• A diet rich in saturated fats may contribute to cardiovascular disease through plaque deposits.
• Glycerol + 3 Fatty Acids → Triglyceride.
• These essential fatty acids include the omega-3 fatty acids, required for normal growth, and thought to provide protection against cardiovascular disease.
• Lipids are composed of triglycerides.
• Proteins are nutrients which contain materials the body uses for growth and repair.
• Chain of Triglycerides → Lipid.
• Proteins are formed of combinations of large peptides chains, this is referred to as polypeptides.
• Most animal fats are saturated (lard).