Carbs, Proteins, Lipids and Nucleic Acids Molecules of Life Carbs, Proteins, Lipids and Nucleic Acids

Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are better known as sugars These supply organisms with energy and structural support They come from a variety of sources and come in a variety of shapes and sizes They are polymers that come in repeating units

Carbohydrates Monosaccharides are single units of sugar Saccar is Greek for sugar Disaccharides are two monosaccharides joined together Polysaccharides are three or more monosaccharides put together

Carbohydrates Monosaccharides are generally have molecular formulas that are similar to glucose C6H12O6 They also have two other trademarks of a sugar Hydroxyl Groups A carbonyl group

Carbohydrates Most common monosaccharides form in rings This is a structurally more stable arrangement Common monosaccharides are glucose and fructose Some common disaccharides are maltose and lactose

Carbohydrates Polysaccharides do many different functions and can be thousands of monomers long Some common ones are starch, cellulose and chitin

Table Name Monomer Polymer Function Calories/Gram Carbohydrates monosaccharide polysaccharide Energy and structural 4 k/g

Proteins Proteins are polymers that contain on of 20 amino acids Amino acids are compounds that contain three major things held together by a central carbon Amino Group Carboxyl Group An R’ group

Proteins Amino acids link together to create a larger segment called a linear polypeptide They link together by a dehydration reaction Once linked they have a specific type of bond called a peptide bond

Proteins When multiple amino acids come together they can bend, twist and turn to be structurally stable The molecule will twist based on what amino acid sequence is in the protein

Proteins The structure of the protein determines its function The specific shape makes the protein fit in to receptors or enzymes

Proteins Protein functions include Structure Signaling Enzymes (biological catalysts) Energy

Structural, Signaling, Enzymes, Energy Table Name Monomer Polymer Function Calories/Gram Carbohydrates monosaccharide polysaccharide Energy and structural 4 k/g Proteins Amino acids Polypeptides/ Structural, Signaling, Enzymes, Energy

Lipids Lipids are diverse compounds that are grouped together because they do not mix with water You can see this in any bottle of salad dressing where the oil does not mix with the vinegar Lipids do not follow the typical monomer and polymer

Lipids One major type of lipid is a fat Fats are large molecules made from smaller molecules, glycerol and fatty acids A glycerol is a three carbon alcohol A triglyceride is a glycerol that has three carbon chains attached to it A fatty acid is a long hydrocarbon chain with a carboxyl group attached

Lipids Some fatty acids have double bonds and some do not Fatty acids with no double bonds are considered saturated fatty acids Fatty acids with one or more double bonds are considered unsaturated fatty acids

Lipids Fats have the function of long term energy storage Carbohydrates and proteins contain 4 calories/gram of energy Fats contain 9 calories/gram of energy

Lipids Phospholipids are similar to fats, but they contain only two fatty acid chains This makes the “head” a slightly different charge than the “tail” These form in double layers that wrap around the cell

Lipids Steroids are lipids in which the carbon skeleton contains four fused rings Cholesterol is a type of steroid Waxes are a different type of lipid that have long chains of carbons

Table Name Monomer Polymer Function Calories/Gram Carbohydrates monosaccharide polysaccharide Energy and structural 4 k/g Proteins Amino acids Polypeptides/ Structural, Signaling, Enzymes, Energy Lipids Long term energy storage 9 k/g

Nucleic Acids Nucleic acids are long chains of repeating molecules DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid) are the two types These both are used to store and send information

Nucleic Acids Nucleic acids have monomers called nucleotides A nucleotide is a molecule that contains a phosphate group, a sugar and a nitrogenous base The nitrogen base can be different from nucleotide to nucleotide

Nucleic Acids Nucleotides fit together to form a long chain polymer DNA forms a double helix RNA forms a single helix

Table Name Monomer Polymer Function Calories/Gram Carbohydrates monosaccharide polysaccharide Energy and structural 4 k/g Lipids Long term energy storage 9 k/g Proteins Amino acids Polypeptides/ Structural, Signaling, Enzymes, Energy Nucleic Acids nucleotide DNA/RNA Information Storage