Biologically important molecules

• Carbohydrates contain a single three to seven carbon atom-based structure
• Functional groups influence and determine the functions of macromolecules in the cell
• A polymer of nucleotides is often referred to as a strand. The covalent bond between adjacent nucleotides is called a phosphodiester bond
• Nucleic Acids

  1. Contains ribonucleotide monomers (A, U, G, C)

  2. Contains deoxyribonucleotide monomers (A, G, T, C)
• The four types of macromolecules contain mostly carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, with varying amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur
• Lipids

  1. Contains three fatty acids joined to glycerol by ester linkages

  2. Contains two fatty acids and a phosphate group joined to glycerol

  3. Contains four carbon-based rings attached to one another

  4. Contains long carbon-based chains
• The sides of the DNA ladder are made of alternating phosphate and sugar molecules, and the rungs are made up of pairs of bases held together with hydrogen bonds
• RNA is single-stranded
• Carbohydrates

  1. Contains two monosaccharides joined by a glycosidic linkage

  2. Contains many monosaccharides joined by glycosidic linkages
• Proteins

  1. Contains amino acid monomers joined by peptide bonds

  2. All have primary, secondary, tertiary structure
• Functional groups on macromolecules provide them with particular properties
• Biologically Important Molecules

  • Disaccharide
  • Monosaccharide
  • Polysaccharide
  • Triglyceride
  • Phospholipid
  • Steroid
  • Wax
  • Catalyst
  • Transport
  • Structural
  • Movement
  • Regulatory
  • Defence
  • DNA
  • RNA
• Table 1.2 outlines important structural features and examples of macromolecules
• Marginal utility is the additional utility (satisfaction) gained from the consumption of an additional product. If you add it up for each unit you get total utility
• DNA is composed of two strands twisted about each other to form a double helix. When unwound, DNA resembles a ladder
• Nucleotide bases always pair together in the same way: Thymine (T) with Adenine (A), and Guanine (G) with Cytosine (C)
• The structures and functions of DNA and RNA will be discussed in Unit 3
• Proteins represent a diverse type of macromolecule due to at least four functional examples
• Biological compound shape


  Plays a significant role in the ability to carry out a particular function in the body
• Materials needed

  • Molecular model kit or other model-building supplies, appropriate software package
• Three-dimensional structure of a protein can be changed (in the absence of gene mutations) and why this can be harmful to an organism
• Conversion of genetic information stored in DNA to the amino acid sequence of proteins is carried out with the assistance of different RNA molecules
• Nucleic acids are composed of nucleotide monomers
• Significance of an R group
• DNA and RNA are polymers made of thousands of repeating nucleotide monomers
• Nucleotides in DNA contain the sugar deoxyribose, and the nucleotides in RNA contain the sugar ribose
• Four levels of organization in protein structure
• Procedure

  1. Choose a biological molecule to build

  2. Construct a three-dimensional model

  3. Sketch a diagram for each molecule

  4. Identify functional groups and provide their names

  5. Determine polarity and solubility in water

  6. Identify a unique structural feature for each class of biological molecule

  7. Describe the relationship between structural features and function
• Basic structure of an amino acid can be described using a labelled sketch
• Building three-dimensional models of

  1. Carbohydrates

  2. Proteins

  3. Lipids

  4. Nucleic Acids

  5. Monomers
• Amino acid sequence of a protein is determined by the nucleotide sequences of both DNA and RNA molecules
• Proteins are more structurally and functionally diverse than carbohydrates and lipids
• DNA contains the genetic information of an organism
• Four different types of nitrogenous bases in DNA: adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G), cytosine (C)
• Nucleotide is made up of a phosphate group, a sugar with five carbon atoms, and a nitrogen-containing base
• RNA nucleotides


  • Contain ribose sugar
• Nitrogenous bases in RNA

  • Adenine (A)
  • Uracil (U)
  • Guanine (G)
  • Cytosine (C)
• DNA and RNA


  Composed of nucleotide monomers
• Levels of Protein Organization
• Denaturation is a process where proteins completely unfold due to disturbed bonding between R groups, potentially affecting the secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structures. Conditions causing denaturation include extremes of hot and cold temperatures and exposure to certain chemicals. Once denatured, a protein loses its normal three-dimensional shape and cannot perform its usual function