biomolecule

• All living organisms are made up of a fundamental unit called the cell
• The cell consists of organic and inorganic compounds and elemental analysis of the cell shows that it is made of various elements such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, chlorine etc.
• Biomolecules


  All carbon-containing compounds found in living organisms
• Most biological molecules are made from covalent combinations of six important elements, whose chemical symbols are CHNOPS (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur)
• The four most important elements, which account for more than 99% of the atoms found in living things


  • Carbon
  • Hydrogen
  • Oxygen
  • Nitrogen
• Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids are the major categories of biomolecules
• Carbohydrates


  • Molecules made from aldehydes and ketones containing numerous hydroxyl groups
  • Monosaccharides are composed of a single ring
  • Disaccharides consist of two monosaccharides that are chemically combined
  • Polysaccharides are polymers containing numerous monosaccharide monomers
• Lipids


  • Water insoluble molecules that are composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
  • Fats and oils are triglycerides that are combinations of glycerol and three fatty acids
• Proteins

  • Polymers of amino acids
  • Found as structural materials in hair, nails and connective tissues
  • Enzymes are proteins that act as biological catalysts
• Nucleic Acids

  • Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and Ribonucleic acid (RNA) are nucleic acids
  • Both DNA and RNA are polymers that are made up of nucleotides
  • Nucleotides are molecules that are composed of three parts: a five carbon sugar, a nitrogen-containing base, and a phosphate group
• Glucose is the final product of photosynthesis
• Monosaccharide

  The simplest sugar and the essential subunit of a carbohydrate
• Monosaccharides are highly soluble in water due to the presence of polar hydroxyl (-OH) groups in their molecular structures
• Nucleotides

  Molecules composed of three parts: a five carbon sugar, a nitrogen-containing base, and a phosphate group
• Polymers made up of nucleotides

  • DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
  • RNA (ribonucleic acid)
• Carbohydrates

  Polysaccharides, commonly known as carbohydrates, are macromolecules made up of monosaccharides (sugar molecules)
• Majority of living cells are rich in carbohydrates and they are the final products of many metabolisms
• Types of saccharides

  • Monosaccharide
  • Disaccharide
  • Polysaccharide
• Common monosaccharides

  • Glucose (dextrose)
  • Fructose
  • Galactose
• Disaccharide


  Formed when two monosaccharides mix
• Examples of disaccharides

  • Sucrose
  • Lactose
  • Maltose
• Polysaccharide

  Large molecules made up of several smaller units joined together
• A water molecule must have a hydrogen atom and a hydroxyl group to the site where the bond is broken in order for starch to be broken

  
• Glucose units can be isolated from one another with the aid of digestive enzymes
• Glucose from starch is released gradually to cells, providing energy as required
• Athletes consume complex carbohydrate-rich meals prior to competing

  To provide gradual release of glucose for energy
• Lipids

  Biomolecules that store energy for later use, also found in hormones and cell membranes
• Oil and water do not mix because they do not have the same polarity
• Oils are composed primarily of long hydrocarbon chains, formed by reaction between an alcohol and one or more long–chain carboxylic acids
• Types of fatty acids

  • Saturated
  • Unsaturated
  • Others
• Presence of double bonds in fatty acids lowers their melting point
• Oils

  Liquids at room temperature, contain unsaturated fatty acids
• Fats

  Solids at room temperature, contain saturated fatty acids
• Cholesterol is abundant in cell membranes, brain tissues, and nerve cells
• Cholesterol is essential but excessive levels can lead to heart disease
• Calories

  Energy provided by fats, carbohydrates, and proteins
• Fats have the highest concentration of calories at 9 calories per gram, while proteins and carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram
• Eating the entire container of a product doubles the calories
• Proteins are made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
• Proteins make up 10-20% of the mass of a cell