Biomolecules

Biological Molecules

“Molecules of Life”

• Also called Organic molecules

Biological Molecules

• Biological molecules are large molecules found in all living things

4 Types of Biomolecules• 1. Carbohydrates• 2. Lipids• 3. Proteins• 4. Nucleic Acids

CHNOPS

These molecules are made of the elements:

• Carbon• Hydrogen• Nitrogen• Oxygen• Phosphorus• Sulfur

• All these molecules contain the element Carbon

All living things contain Carbon

Carbohydrates

A fancy way of saying sugar!

Functions

1. Short-term energy storage

2. Gives organisms Shape/Structure:

Example1: Exoskeleton of crabs and beetles

Example: 2 Cellulose: plant cell walls

Examples: Carbs are in plants!

• Glucose = sugar in plants

• Fructose = in fruit• Lactose = in milk• Sucrose = table sugar

Words for sugars end in “ose”

The subunit of a carbohydrate is a Monosaccharide

Mono = 1

Saccharide = sugar

Monosaccharide = 1 sugar molecule

• Disaccharide = 2 sugars

Starches are polysaccharides

Polysaccharide = many sugars

More names for Carbohydrates

Structure

• Carbohydrates are ring-shaped molecules

Elements

• The elements that bond to make carbohydrates are:

• Carbon• Hydrogen• Oxygen

Lipids= Fats

Function

• Long term energy storage

• Common names= fat, oil

• Elements= C,H,O

Lipid facts

• Large , organic molecules

• Won’t dissolve in water• Fats store more

energy than carbs because they have many carbon-hydrogen bonds

• Can be “saturated” or “unsaturated"

Saturated and Unsaturated fats• Saturated= solid at

room temperature,

Raise “bad” (LDL) cholesterol levels

Ex= animal products, coconut

• Unsaturated=liquid at room temperature,

Raise “good” (HDL) cholesterol

Ex= olive oil, avocado, almonds

More Examples• Lard• Steroids: examples

Cholesterol & testosterone

• Waxes (like earwax!)• Phospholipids: these

make up your cell membrane

Phospholipids

Lipids

• Subunit= fatty Acids• Shape= chains

Proteins2 Main Functions

1. Form structures, like muscle

2.Act as Enzymes, which speed chemical reactions

Elements= C,H,O,N,S

Examples=

Meat, muscle, enzymes

Proteins’ subunit is amino acids

• Proteins are one of the most diverse biomolecules, having lots of different shapes

• They are composed of 20 different types of amino acids

• Amino acids have an amino group (-NH3) and a carboxyl group (-COOH)

More Functions of Proteins

• Control rates of reactions & regulate cell processes

• Form bones & muscles

• Transport substances in & out of cells

• Help fight disease.

ENZYMES are Proteins!Enzymes are important proteins

that speed up the chemical reactions in your body

• Because they help these reactions happen, they are called catalysts

Ex. The enzyme amylase helps break down carbohydrates into sugar when you chew

How Enzymes Work• Every reaction needs energy

to get started; this is called activation energy

• Enzymes decrease the amount of energy needed to get these reactions going

• Different reactions in your body need different enzymes

• Without the correct enzyme available, your body cannot function properly

Enzyme Action• How well enzymes work depend on 3

criteria: temperature, pH & concentration

1.Temperature: enzymes in your body work best at normal body temperature

2. pH: Different enzymes work best at different pH levels

3. Concentration: in general, the higher the concentration, the better the enzyme will work at speeding up the reaction.

pH Scale

Nucleic Acids• Elements: CHNOP

• Functions: Store and transmit genetic information

• 2 Kinds to remember

1.DNA= deoxyribonucleic acid

2.RNA=

ribonucleic acid

Nucleic acids- shape & subunitShape of DNA= double

helix

Shape of RNA= single strand

Subunit= nucleotide

3 parts:

1.Sugar

2.Phosphate

3.Nitrogen-containing base

• DNA has 4 Types of bases= A,T,C,G (adenine, thymine, cytosine & guanine)

Compare DNA and RNA

DNA structure= double helix RNA structure= single strand