The individual pieces that make them are called monomers. 2 monomers make a dimer 3 make a trimer ... many together form a polymer Roughly 40 - 50 different monomers combine to make up the thousands of different macromolecules present in the cells. The 4 main classes are: lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, and nucleic acids. Can be formed through a condensation reaction called dehydration synthesis Can be separated through hydrolysis Macromolecules

Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are sugars. Sugars can be single units which are monosaccharides (simple sugars), as disaccharides, or as long chains which are polysaccharides. Each monosaccharide is added through the process of dehydration synthesis forming a glycosidic linkage

Monosaccharides monos - single, sacchar – sugar… Often called simple sugars empirical formula of (CH2O)n Molecular formula C6H12O6 (Glucose) contains a carbonyl group and multiple hydroxyl groups end is suffix -ose aldose sugar…end carbonyl unit – ketose …middle carbonyl unit forms a hexagonal ring (hexose), other common rings are triose and pentose Glucose, Galactose, & Fructose are common isomers

Common Disaccharides Disaccharides are formed through the process of dehydration synthesis. They are important as they are small enough to be absorbed intact through the small intestine directly into the bloodstream Can be easily cleaved to release glucose to support metabolism

Starches Starches are the polysaccharide storage form of the simple sugars found in the body Starch is stored by plants Glycogen is a branched polysaccharide stored in the muscles of animals Both starch and glycogen are made exclusively of glucose, in an alpha arrangement, and can be used to release glucose into the circulatory system when the blood sugar drops Cellulose is a structural polysaccharide much like starch but the orientation is a beta pleat causing a more condensed packaging that gives strength, support, and makes the molecule indigestible to most organisms Chitin is a structural polysaccharide produced by arthropods to build exoskeletons

Lipids (fats) Hydrophobic molecules formed by dehydration synthesis creating ester linkage Made of glycerol (3C alcohol) and fatty acids (long hydrocarbon chains) Triglyceride is the most common form consisting of a glycerol and 3 fatty acids

Saturated vs Unsaturated A saturated fat has fatty acids containing no double bonds…it is holding as many H as possible An unsaturated fat has at least 1 double bond (monounsaturated) A polyunsaturated fatty acid contains many double bonds Saturated vs Unsaturated

Phospholipids and Steroids Phospholipids are a major component of cell walls. Are a diglyceride with a phosphate molecule creating a hydrophilic and hydrophobic end A steroid is a derivative of cholesterol and is used as a chemical messenger in animals