There are four classes of biological macromolecules:

Proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and nucleic

acids

Before you can understand the topics Before you can understand the topics in this unit there are some key in this unit there are some key

vocabulary terms you need to know.vocabulary terms you need to know.

MacromoleculeMacromolecule

PolymerPolymer

MonomerMonomer

What do these words mean?

So What Is A So What Is A MacromoleculeMacromolecule??

A very large molecule, such as a polymer or protein, consisting of many smaller structural units linked together.

BiologicalBiologicalMacromoleculeMacromolecule

All biological macro-molecule are made up of a small number of elements: Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Phosphorus

and Sulfur

96% of living organisms is made of: carbon (C) oxygen (O) hydrogen (H) nitrogen (N) phosphorus (P)

Elements of LifeElements of Life

Next Word…..Next Word…..

Polygons

Polygamy

Polyester

What does What does “Mono” “Mono” mean?mean?

A PolymerA PolymerHere are some analogies to better

understand what polymers and monomers are….

EXAMPLE of POLYMER

MONOMER

A TRAIN ?

A NECKLACE ?

If the train is the whole polymer, what would be If the train is the whole polymer, what would be the small groups that make up the train? If the the small groups that make up the train? If the necklace is the polymer, what are the monomers necklace is the polymer, what are the monomers that make up the necklace?that make up the necklace?

A PolymerA PolymerHere are some analogies to better

understand what polymers and monomers are….

EXAMPLE of POLYMER

MONOMER

A TRAIN THE CARS

A NECKLACE EACH PEARL

If the train is the whole polymer, what would be If the train is the whole polymer, what would be the small groups that make up the train? If the the small groups that make up the train? If the necklace is the polymer, what are the monomers necklace is the polymer, what are the monomers that make up the necklace?that make up the necklace?

Now you and a buddyNow you and a buddy

need to think of at least 2 need to think of at least 2 other analogies for a polymer other analogies for a polymer and its monomers.and its monomers.

Molecules of LifeMolecules of LifePut C, H, O, P, and N together in

different ways to build living organisms

What are bodies made of?◦carbohydrates

sugars & starches

◦proteins◦fats (lipids)◦nucleic acids

DNA, RNA

Water◦65% of your body is H2O

◦water is inorganic doesn’t contain carbon

Rest of you is made of carbon molecules◦organic molecules

carbohydrates proteins fats nucleic acids

Don’t forget Don’t forget waterwater

Keep the following in mind Keep the following in mind when studying this when studying this material:material:

Nucleic Acids What they look like

Carbohydrates What they do/Where are they

Lipids What are they made up of-

at the level of atoms

Proteins

sucrose

CarbohydratesCarbohydratesFunction:

◦quick energy

◦energy storage

◦structure cell wall in plants

Examples◦sugars

◦starches

◦cellulose (cell wall)

glucoseC6H12O6

starch

Cellulose Cellulose Cell walls in plants

◦herbivores can digest cellulose well◦most carnivores cannot digest cellulose

that’s why they eat meat to get their energy & nutrients

cellulose = roughage stays undigested keeps material

moving in your intestines

Different Diets of HerbivoresCow

can digest cellulose well; no need to eat other sugars

Gorillacan’t digest cellulose well; must add another sugar source, like fruit to diet

Helpful bacteriaHelpful bacteriaHow can cows digest cellulose so well?

◦ BACTERIA live in their stomachs & help digest cellulose-rich (grass) meals

CARBOHYDRATESCARBOHYDRATES

Carbohydrates are chains Carbohydrates are chains (polymers) made of (polymers) made of monomers. The most common monomers. The most common monomer of carbohydrates monomer of carbohydrates is…is…

The shape of The shape of Glucose is a Glucose is a hexagonal ringhexagonal ring

CARBOHYDRATESCARBOHYDRATES

Each carbohydrate is made up Each carbohydrate is made up of…of…

THINK: “CHO”THINK: “CHO”

Building carbohydratesBuilding carbohydratesSynthesis

|glucos

e

|glucos

e

1 sugar = monosaccharid

e2 sugars =

disaccharide

|maltos

e

BIG carbohydratesBIG carbohydratesPolysaccharides

◦large carbohydrates starch

energy storage in plants potatoes

glycogen energy storage in animals

in liver & muscles cellulose

structure in plants cell walls

chitin structure in arthropods & fungi

exoskeleton

Building BIG Building BIG carbohydratescarbohydrates

glucose + glucose + glucose… =

starch(plant)

glycogen(animal)

energystorage

polysaccharide

PROTEINSPROTEINS

They are the major structural molecules in living things for growth and repair : muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones, hair, skin, nails…IN FACT ALL CELL MEMBRANES have protein in them

They make up antibodies in the immune system

They make up enzymes for helping chemical reactions

They makeup non-steriod hormones

Proteins:Proteins:

Multipurpose molecules

collagen (skin)

Proteins Proteins

insulin

Examples◦muscle

◦skin, hair, fingernails, claws collagen, keratin

◦pepsin digestive enzyme

in stomach

◦insulin hormone that controls blood

sugar levels

pepsin

ProteinsProteinsFunction:

◦many, many functions hormones

signals from one body system to another insulin

movement muscle

immune system protect against germs

enzymes help chemical reactions

ProteinsProteins

Building block =

aminoacid

aminoacid–

aminoacid–

aminoacid–

aminoacid–

—N—H

H

H|

—C—|

C—OH

||O

variable group

amino acids

20 different amino acidsThere’s

20 of us…like 20 different

letters in analphabet!

Can make lots of different

words

Amino acid chainsAmino acid chainsProteins

◦amino acids chained into a polymer

Each amino acid is different some “like” water & dissolve in it some “fear” water & separate

from it

amino acid amino acid amino acid amino acid amino acid

Water-fearing amino acidsWater-fearing amino acids Hydrophobic

“water fearing” amino acids try to get away from water in cell

the protein folds

Water-loving amino acidsWater-loving amino acids Hydrophillic

“water loving” amino acids try to stay in water in cell

the protein folds

pepsin

For proteins: SHAPE For proteins: SHAPE mattersmatters!!

collagen

Proteins fold & twist into 3-D shape◦that’s what happens in the cell!

Different shapes = different jobs

hemoglobingrowth

hormone

It’s SHAPE that matters!It’s SHAPE that matters!Proteins do their jobs, because

of their shapeUnfolding a protein destroys its

shape◦wrong shape = can’t do its job◦unfolding proteins = “denature”

temperature pH (acidity)

folded

unfolded“denatured”

PROTEINSPROTEINS

Each protein is made up of…Each protein is made up of…

THINK: “CHONS”THINK: “CHONS”

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LipidsLipids

Function:◦energy storage

very concentrated twice the energy as carbohydrates!

◦cell membrane◦cushions organs◦insulates body

think whale blubber!

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Lipids Lipids Examples

◦fats◦oils◦waxes◦hormones sex hormones

testosterone (male) estrogen (female)

LIPIDSLIPIDS

Lipids are not polymers. But Lipids are not polymers. But they are created by the same they are created by the same process that creates process that creates polymers.polymers.

The most common lipids The most common lipids are…are…

The Shape of a triglyceride is The Shape of a triglyceride is like the letterlike the letter

E

This is a triglyceride molecule

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Structure of FatStructure of Fat

not a chain (polymer) = just a “big fat molecule”

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Saturated fatsSaturated fatsMost animal fats

◦solid at room temperature

Limit the amount in your diet◦contributes to

heart disease ◦deposits in

arteries

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Unsaturated fatsUnsaturated fatsPlant, vegetable & fish

fats ◦liquid at room

temperature the fat molecules

don’t stack tightlytogether

Better choice in your diet

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Saturated vs. unsaturatedSaturated vs. unsaturatedsaturated unsaturated

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Other lipids in biologyOther lipids in biologyCholesterol

◦good molecule in cell membranes◦make hormones from it

including sex hormones

◦but too much cholesterol in blood may lead to heart disease

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Other lipids in biologyOther lipids in biologyCell membranes are made out of

lipids◦phospholipids◦heads are on the outside touching

water “like” water

◦tails are on inside away from water “scared” of water

◦forms a barrier between the cell & the outside

LIPIDSLIPIDS

Each lipid is made up of…Each lipid is made up of…

THINK: “CHOP”THINK: “CHOP”

The 4th type of The 4th type of biochemical biochemical macromolecules are the macromolecules are the NUCLEIC ACIDSNUCLEIC ACIDS

The types of Nucleic AcidsDNA (DeoxyriboNucleic Acid)RNA (RiboNucleic Acid)

DNADNA

Nucleic AcidsNucleic AcidsFunction:

◦genetic material stores information

genes blueprint for building proteins DNA RNA proteins

transfers information blueprint for new cells blueprint for next generation

proteinsproteins

DNA◦Inside the nucleus of a

cellRNA

◦Inside the nucleus and in the cytoplasm

DNA and RNA are polymers of 4 different nucleotides (monomers)

Each nucleotide is composed of three parts:◦a nitrogen base

DNA: adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), thymine (T)

RNA: adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), uracil (U)◦a five-carbon sugar

Deoxyribose (DNA) Ribose (RNA)

◦a phosphate group ◦ DNA is double-sided◦ RNA is single-sided

Nucleic acidsNucleic acids

phosphate

sugar N base

DNA and RNA

Think “PHONC”

Building large molecules Building large molecules of lifeof life

Chain together smaller molecules◦building block molecules = monomers

Big molecules built from little molecules◦polymers

Small molecules = building blocks

Bond them together = polymers

Building large organic Building large organic moleculesmolecules

Building important Building important polymerspolymers

sugar – sugar – sugar – sugar – sugar – sugar

nucleotide – nucleotide – nucleotide – nucleotide

Carbohydrates = built from sugars

Proteins = built from amino acids

Nucleic acids (DNA) = built from nucleotides

aminoacid

aminoacid–

aminoacid–

aminoacid–

aminoacid–

aminoacid–

How to build large How to build large moleculesmolecules

Synthesis◦building bigger molecules

from smaller molecules ◦building cells & bodies

repair growth reproduction

+

ATP

How to take large molecules How to take large molecules apartapart

Digestion◦taking big molecules apart◦getting raw materials

for synthesis & growth

◦making energy (ATP) for synthesis, growth & everyday functions

+

ATP

Example of digestionExample of digestion

starch glucose

ATP

ATP

ATP

ATP

ATP

ATPATP

Starch is digested to glucose

Example of synthesisExample of synthesis

amino acids protein

amino acids = building blockprotein = polymer

Proteins are synthesized by bonding amino acids

Why do we eat?Why do we eat?We eat to take in more of these

chemicals◦Food for building materials

to make more of us (cells) for growth for repair

◦Food to make energy calories to make ATP

ATP

What do we need to eat?What do we need to eat?Foods to give you more building

blocks & more energy for building & running bodies

◦carbohydrates◦proteins◦fats◦nucleic acids◦vitamins◦minerals, salts◦water