Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins, and Nucleic Acids

 The term “macromolecule” implies a large molecule (macro means large)  Also known as Organic Molecules  All are made up of the element Carbon  Found in all living things

 Carbohydrates-starches and sugars (a)  Lipids-fats, waxes, steroids and cholesterol (d)  Proteins-enzymes, hemoglobin and insulin (b)  Nucleic Acids-DNA and RNA (c)

 They are synthesized (created) by a process called polymerization where monomers (mono- one/single, meros-part) are assembled into large (macro) molecules (also known as polymers)  Made by combining many single units into larger units

 Carbohydrates-monosaccharide  Connected by glycosidic linkages  Lipids-fatty acid and glycerol  Connected by ester linkages  Protein-amino acids  Connected by peptide bonds  Nucleic Acid-nucleotides  Connected by phosphodiester linkages

 They are composed of the elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in the proportion of 1:2:1 (for every one carbon, there are two hydrogen and one oxygen)  The general formula is CH 2 O  Carbs function is short-term energy storage

 Element are hydrogen, oxygen and carbon: contains a higher proportion of carbon and hydrogen compared to oxygen  They DO NOT dissolve in water (insoluble)  Lipids store energy in the form of calories (not as well as carbohydrates)  Provide padding and insulation

 Lipids consists of three fatty acids joined by one glycerol molecule  Main types are triglycerides (fats and oils), phospholipids (found in cell membranes), wax and steroids (these do NOT have a fatty acids, examples include cholesterol and steriod hormones

SATURATED UNSATURATED All the bonds between carbon atoms are single bonds They contain the maximum possible hydrogen bonds Mostly animal sources Solid at room temperature Straight chains These can lead to health problems such as heart disease  Has at least one double bond between carbon atoms which causes a bend in the chain  Mostly plant sources  Liquid at room temperature

 Composed of the elements carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen  Not very good fuel for the body but are essential to life  They are important in biological systems as control (enzymes and hormones) and structural elements (these function in the cell membrane and muscle tissue) PROTEINS

 Known as organic catalysts  Speed up the rate of reactions by lowering the activation energy  Break things down  Two things that kill/denature/change the shape: temperature and pH  Bind with a substrate at the active site on enzyme  They end in -ase

 Protein found in the red blood cells (RBCs)  In mammals, it makes up about 97% of the red blood cell’s dry content  Transports oxygen from the lungs or gills to the rest of the body where it releases the oxygen for cell use

 A hormone that is secreted by groups of cells within the pancreas called islet cells in response to detecting an increase in blood sugar  When insulin binds to the cell, it activates other receptors designed to absorb glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream into the inside of the cell

 They are the largest molecules made by organisms  Composed of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus  They store and transmit hereditary, or genetic, information (DNA), used to make proteins (RNA) and for energy transfers (ATP)