Biological Macromolecules

• Monomer


  Single unit
• Polymer


  Many units bound together
• Biological macromolecule formation


  Monomer + monomer + monomer + monomer + monomer + monomer
• Biological macromolecules important to life

  • Carbohydrates
  • Lipids
  • Proteins
  • Nucleic Acids
• What about the carbon molecule makes it an ideal molecule for life forms?
• Carbohydrates


  • Distinguish between monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides
  • Understand how carbohydrates are used in plants and animals as energy storage molecules
  • Understand how carbohydrates are used in plants and animals as structural molecules
• Monosaccharides


  • Glucose
  • Fructose
• Disaccharides


  • Sucrose
  • Lactose
• Polysaccharides


  Polymers (repeating units) of monosaccharides
• Polysaccharides that store energy

  • Starch (plants)
  • Glycogen (animals)
• Polysaccharides that are structural molecules

  • Cellulose (makes up cell walls in plants)
  • Chitin (makes up exoskeletons)
• Lipids


  • Compare saturated to unsaturated fats
  • List the functions of lipids
  • Identify a steroid from a picture (4 rings)
  • Identify the main component of the cell membrane
• Lipids


  • Hydrophobic (insoluble in water)
  • Used for insulation and long term energy storage (fat)
• Fats and oils


  • Made of subunits - glycerol and fatty acids
• Waxes


  • Mainly used for covering and protection
• Phospholipids


  Important structural component of the cell membrane
• Steroids


  • Cholesterol
  • Sex hormones (estrogen & testosterone)
• Cholesterol


  • A lipid molecule
  • Essential component of cell membranes
  • Maintains membrane integrity and fluidity
  • Enables animal cells to not need a cell wall, be able to change shape, and move freely
• Saturated fats


  Contain no double bonds, solid at room temperature
• Unsaturated fats


  Have double bonds that "kink" the molecule, liquid at room temperature
• Proteins


  • Polymers made of amino acids, joined by peptide bonds, also called polypeptides
  • Amino acids form a wide variety of structures, mainly building blocks for living tissue
• Spike proteins


  • On the surface of the coronavirus
• Denatured proteins


  Heat causes it to lose its shape, and its functionality
• There are 20 known amino acids
• Protein shapes


  • Primary
  • Secondary
  • Tertiary
  • Quaternary
• Nucleic acids


  • Information storing molecules
  • Repeating nucleotides
• Nucleic acids


  • DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
  • RNA (ribonucleic acid)
• Components of a nucleotide

  • A sugar (deoxyribose or ribose)
  • A phosphate
  • A nitrogen base (adenine, thymine, guanine, cytosine, uracil (in RNA))