Macromolecules, which are assembled from smaller molecules, play an essential part in the proper

functioning of cells. Polymers, which develop when several monomers bind together, make up most
biological compounds. Biological polymers develop when monomers are joined together in a wide
variety of ways.

Macromolecular classes include glucose, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates play a crucial role in our diet since they are a primary source of fuel. Polysaccharides,
monosaccharides, disaccharides and are the three kinds of carbohydrates. Starch is the sugar
storage mechanism for plants. Polysaccharides like starch, which are generated by vegetation, are
white and granular because they are made up of glucose monomers. (C6H10O5) n is the formula,
and the -1,4-glycosidic bond among glucose monomers holds the structure together (Encyclopaedia
Britannica, 2020). Energy-rich glucose is produced from starchy foods, while other minerals like iron,
B vitamins, and calcium are absorbed because of the digestive process.

Lipids

Not soluble by water, lipids are macromolecules that include chemicals like as fats, oils, hormones,
and certain parts of the membrane. The three major types are sterols, phospholipids, and
triacylglycerols. Both plants and animals depend on lipids for storing energy in the form of fat and
protection from the elements. They are essential for the construction of structures that must keep
their shape, such as cell membranes, as they create a polymer-like structure when combined with
other fat molecules, particularly steroids like cholesterol that are insoluble in water (OpenStax
College, 2018). Bonds of hydrogen hold steroids together in their distinctive four-ring structure, that
includes 17 carbon atoms (OpenStax College, 2018). The hormones regulate the body's metabolic
rate, immunological response, and salt and water levels. Steroids, each with a unique name,
connect to their biological origins, such as phytosterols, which are found in plants, adrenal steroids,
and bile acids, or to their psychological functions, like cardiotonic steroids, which help the heart to
work more efficiently.

Protein

Protein is an essential component of muscle and is found in all forms of life. Proteins have diverse
shapes and molecular weights that vary across their primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary
levels. Proteins are polymers made up of amino acids, and they are referred to as polypeptides.
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein; they have a core carbon atom linked to either an
amino group (-NH2), a carboxyl group (-COOH), or both (Lumen Learning n.d.). Insulin is a hormone
that controls metabolism; it is a polypeptide hormone produced by beta cells in the islets of the
pancreas. There are two peptide chains in this structure, an A chain, and a B chain. There are two
disulphide bonds connecting the amino acid sequences on the A and B chains (OpenStax College,
2018).

Nucleic Acid

Nucleic Acid is the macromolecule that is known as the main information-carrying of the

cell, and they define the nature of every living thing by guiding the process of the blending

of protein. They are formed by repeated dehydration synthesis reactions between

nucleotides, and during the process, a phosphodiester linkage is formed between the
phosphate group of one nucleotide and the sugar of another nucleotide (OpenStax

College, 2018). Hence, the monomers of protein are nucleotides, and it has three mains

components, a pentose sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. Nucleic acids may be

divided into two primary classes: deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) (OpenStax

College, 2018). DNA is the genetic material that is found in all living things and controls all

cellular activities, while RNA is involved with protein synthesis and its regulation.

 Reference

Encyclopedialike Britannica. (2020). Starch. Encyclopedialike Britannica.

https://www.britannica.com/science/starch.

Lumen Learning. (n.d.). Biology for Non-Majors I: Protein. Lumen.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wmopen-nmbiology1/chapter/proteins/.

OpenStax College (2018). Biology. OpenStax

https://my.uopeople.edu/pluginfile.php/1015433/mod_page/content/20/BioTextbookCh1

-10. pd