1. Macromolecules

2. Life: Small Picture to Big Picture
Macromolecules

3. What are Macromolecules?
Cells and their organelles are made up of smaller building blocks called macromolecules.
There are 4 basic types of macromolecules. They are:
Lipids
Proteins
Carbohydrates
Nucleic Acids

4. Monomers & Polymers
Macromolecules are actually made up of even smaller subunits. Each subunit of a macromolecule is called a monomer.
The macromolecules themselves are called polymers, because they are made up of many of these subunits.
Monomer: one basic unit or subunit
Polymer: a chain of many basic units

5. What you need to know: Names of the 4 macromolecules
Structure- monomers and polymers of each
Function- what are they used for?
Food sources- what foods will you find these in?
Indicator Tests- what tests do we use to find out if a food contains them?

6. Lipids

7. Lipids: Structure Lipids are made up of…
Monomer (basic unit): fatty acids
Polymer (chain of units): lipids
Specific examples: triglycerides, phospholipids

8. Lipids: Structure* Properties of Lipids caused by:
Saturated vs. Unsaturated fatty acids
Polar head and nonpolar tail regions
Hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions

9. Lipids: Function Make up the cell membrane, providing cell structure
Provide insulation (fat keeps body warm)
Long-term energy storage

10. Lipids: Food Sources
As you might have guessed, fatty foods contain lipids.
Lipids are found in meat and fish, oils, avacados, eggs & nuts.

11. Lipids: Indicator Test
Paper Bag Test:
Smear substance onto paper bag
If see-thru, it contains lipids

12. Proteins

13. Proteins: Structure Proteins are made up of… Monomer (basic unit):
amino acids
20 different kinds!*
Polymer (chain of units): protein
More specifically- polypeptides
dipeptide
Amino acids linked by peptide bonds

14. Proteins: Structure* 20 Amino Acids:
Some of these are polar & hydrophilic, others are non- polar and hydrophobic. Proteins can contain both kinds.

15. Proteins: Structure
Proteins have complex structures. The shape of a protein determines its function!
The levels of protein structure are:
Primary structure: polypeptide chain
Secondary structure: polypeptides in coils or sheets
Tertiary structure: coils or sheets form a tangle
Quaternary structure: more than one tangle combine to make a very complex protein!

16. Proteins: Function Build and repair muscle and tissues
“No pain, no gain!”
Enzymes- proteins that speed up chemical reactions

17. Proteins: Food Sources
Proteins are found in meat, fish, legumes, nuts, milk, eggs, grains and soy products.
There are 6 amino acids that our bodies cannot make- we can only get these from food.

18. Proteins: Indicator Test
Biuret’s Solution:
Turns from blue to purple if protein is present

19. Carbohydrates

20. Carbohydrates: Structure
Carbohydrates are made up of…
Monomer (basic unit): simple sugars (or monosaccharides)
Ex.: glucose
Polymer (chain of units): complex carbohydrates (or polysaccharides)
Ex.: starch, cellulose, chitin, glycogen
Disaccharide: 2 simple sugars bonded together

21. Carbohydrates: Function
Provide body with energy!
What should you eat before playing the big game? Candy bar or pasta?
Candy bar: contains simple sugars, provides a short burst of energy
Pasta: contains starch which takes longer to break down, provides longer-lasting energy
*We can’t digest cellulose- it is used as fiber, or roughage instead.
Ex. : corn
Complex carb (ex. Starch)
Broken down to disaccharides
Broken down further
Simple sugars (ex. Glucose)

22. Carbohydrates: Food Sources
Simple carbs (simple sugars) are found in most candy and sweet drinks, fruit, vegetables, and milk. They are quickly digested and give a short burst of energy.
Complex carbs (like starches) are found in pasta, bread, potatoes, legumes & corn. They take longer to digest, and provide energy longer.

23. Carbohydrates: Indicator Tests
Simple Sugars:
Benedict’s solution
Blue solution turns orange/green/brown
Complex Carbs:
Lugol’s solution/Iodine
Turns from orange- red-brown to black- purple

24. Nucleic Acids

25. Nucleic Acids: Structure
Nucleic Acids are made up of…
Monomers (basic unit): nucleotides
Polymers (chain of units): DNA or RNA

26. Nucleic Acids: Function
Stores and carries genetic information

27. Nucleic Acids: Food Sources
We get nucleic acid components from vitamins and minerals in our diet. These in turn, come from fruits, vegetables, grains, meats, & almost anything else you can think of with some nutritional value (no junk food!).

28. Nucleic Acids: Indicator Test
You will not be using an indicator test for these but in case you’re wondering…
Dische diphenylamine test
Turns from clear-light blue
to dark blue if nucleic acids
are present

29. Digestion & Reconstruction
When macromolecules are eaten, they are digested and broken down into their subunits (monomers).
Analogy: taking apart an old brick building
Inside the cells, these subunits are reconstructed into the macromolecules we need.
Analogy: using bricks to build a new building

30. Digestion Products Macromolecule eaten: Broken down in stomach to:
Carbohydrates
Simple sugars (i.e. glucose)
Lipids
Fatty acids & glycerol (glycerol further broken down to glucose)
Proteins
Amino acids
Nucleic Acids
Nucleotides