1. Biological Macromolecules

2. Biological Macromolecules
Lesson Essential Questions:
What are biological macromolecules?
What are macromolecules made of?
How do living things use macromolecules?
How is the expression, “You are what you eat,” relevant to the study of macromolecules?

3. Biological Macromolecules
What are biological macromolecules?
large molecules essential for life (macro=large)
organic = carbon-based
carbon is the building block of ALL life

4. Four Groups of Macromolecules
DNA
NUCLEIC ACIDS
CARBOHYDRATES
LIPIDS
PROTEINS

5. Biological Macromolecules
What are they made of? What is their structure?
macromolecules are polymers
polymers are made of repeating subunits
each subunit (building block) is called a monomer
Monomers
join together through polymerization
to form a Polymer

6. Biological Macromolecules
How do monomers join together to make a polymer?
monomers are joined together through a chemical reaction called dehydration synthesis to form polymers
when chemical bonds between monomers form, a water molecule is lost  “dehydration”

7. Four Groups of Macromolecules
DNA
NUCLEIC ACIDS
CARBOHYDRATES
LIPIDS
PROTEINS

8. Carbohydrates
Composition: Carbon, Hydrogen, & Oxygen atoms (CHO) in a 1:2:1 ratio (e.g., C6H12O6) (ring structures)
Monomer (Building Block): Monosaccharide
Polymer: Polysaccharide
Functions:
Store energy
Structural components
Where Found in Organisms:
Glycogen (short-term energy storage) in muscles & liver
Starch stored in fruit, seeds, & tubers of plants
Plant cell walls (cellulose)
Exoskeletons of insects and arthropods & cells walls of fungi (chitin)
Food Examples: sugars, starches, grains, fruits & veggies
Fact: Provide quick energy; Common suffix is –ose (e.g., lactose)

9. Lipids (Fats, Oils & Waxes)
Composition: Carbon, Hydrogen, & Oxygen (CHO) in chains
Building Blocks: Fatty acids & glycerol
Functions:
Long-term energy storage (fat cells)
Waterproof barriers (waxes & cell membrane)
Chemical messengers (steroids, hormones & cholesterol)
Examples in Organisms: animal fat, beeswax, steroids, phospholipids in cell membranes
Food Examples: oils, butter, lard
Fact: lipids are not water-soluble

10. Proteins Composition: Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, & Nitrogen (CHON)
Monomer: amino acids (20 different)
Polymer: polypeptide
Functions: Most abundant macromolecule
in the body
Growth & repair of tissue (e.g. muscle)
Structural support (e.g., hair, horns, feathers)
Speed up chemical reactions (enzymes)
Transport substances
Fight disease (antibodies)
Examples in Organisms: muscles, hair, fingernails, skin,
Food Examples: meat, poultry, fish, beans, nuts, eggs
Fact: Suffix for enzymes is –ase (e.g., lactase)

11. Nucleic Acids
Composition: Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, & Phosphorus (CHONP)
Monomer: nucleotide
Polymer: polynucleotide
Functions:
Store & transmit genetic information
Regulate synthesis of proteins
Examples: DNA and RNA
Fact: We do not get nucleic acids from foods. We build them in our cells using molecules from other digested macromolecules.

13. You Are What You Eat
You eat food containing proteins, carbohydrates, and fats (lipids).

14. You Are What You Eat
The macromolecules in the food are broken down by the digestive system into smaller molecules by mechanical processes and by enzymes.

15. You Are What You Eat
These small molecules are absorbed into the bloodstream through the intestines and delivered to cells throughout the organism.

16. Molecules transported into a cell
You Are What You Eat
They transport into cells and undergo chemical reactions to break down into their component parts.
Molecules transported into a cell

17. You Are What You Eat How are polymers broken down into monomers?
polymers are broken down through a chemical reaction called hydrolysis to form monomers
a water molecule is required to break each chemical bond between monomers  “hydrolosis”
Reverse of
dehydration synthesis

18. Inside the cell: Assembling new proteins from amino acids
You Are What You Eat
Once inside the cell, these molecules can be building blocks for new macromolecules used for cell structure and processes.
Inside the cell: Assembling new proteins from amino acids

19. Check Your Understanding
What does organic mean?
What one element is essential for all life on Earth?
What other elements are used to make macromolecules?
Name the building blocks (monomers) of
Carbohydrates
Lipids
Proteins
Nucleic acids
By what process are monomers joined together to make polymers?
What would you eat for quick energy? to build muscle?
Which types of macromolecules in in –ose? –ase?