Macromolecules

03: Biochemistry
Carbohydrates
● Energy molecules

C - Carbon
H - Hydrogen
O - Oxygen Glucose
Carbohydrates
● Building block molecules = monosaccharides
sugar sugar sugar sugar sugar sugar

sugar sugar sugar sugar sugar sugar

Carbohydrates
● Function
○ Quick energy
○ Energy storage
○ structure
■ Cell wall in plants
● Examples
○ sugars
○ Starches
○ Cellulose (cell wall)
Sugars = building blocks
● Names for sugars usually end in -ose
○ glucose
○ fructose
○ Sucrose
○ maltose

mitochondria

sucrose
Building Carbohydrates
● Synthesis
BIG Carbohydrates
● Polysaccharides
○ Large carbohydrates
■ Starch
● Energy storage in plants
○ Potatoes
■ Glycogen
● Energy storage in animals
○ In liver
■ Cellulose
● Structure in plants
○ Cell walls
Cellulose
● Cell walls in plants
○ Herbivores can digest cellulose well
○ Most carnivores cannot digest cellulose
■ That’s why they eat meat to get their energy and nutrients
■ Cellulose = roughage
● Stays undigested
● Keeps material moving in your intestine
Lipids
● Concentrated Energy molecules
Lipids
● Function:
○ Energy storage
■ Very concentrated
■ Twice the energy of carbohydrates
○ Cell membrane
■ Phospholipids
○ Cushions organs
○ Insulates body
■ Think whale blubber
Lipids

● Examples
○ fats
○ oils
○ Waxes
○ Hormones
■ Sex hormones
● Testosterone (male)
● Estrogen (female)
○ Sterols
Structure of Lipids
● Building block molecule = fatty acids
● Are long chains of carbon atoms

Fatty acid

Fatty acid

Fatty acid
Lipids
● Cell membranes are made of lipids
○ Heads are on the outside touching water
■ Hydrophilic - “like” water
○ Tails are on inside away from water
■ Hydrophobic - “scared” of water
○ Forms a barrier between cell and the outside
Saturated Fats
● Most animal fats
○ Solid at room temperature
● Limit the amount in your diet
○ Contributes to heart disease
○ Deposits in arteries
■ Arteriosclerosis
■ Thickening and hardening
Unsaturated Fats
● Plant, vegetables & fish fats
○ Liquid at room temperature
■ Fat molecules don’t stack tightly
together
○ Better choice in your diet
Proteins
● Function:
○ many , many functions
■ Hormones
● Signals from one body system to another
■ Movement
● Muscle
■ Immune system
● Protection from germs
■ Enzymes
● Help chemical reactions
Proteins
● Examples
○ Muscle
Insulin
○ Skin, hair, fingernails, claws
■ Collagen, keratin
○ Enzymes
■ pepsin
● Digestive enzyme
○ Hormones collagen
■ Insulin
● Hormone that controls blood sugar
levels pepsin
Structure of Proteins
● Building block molecule = amino acids
Amino Amino Amino Amino Amino Amino
acid acid acid acid acid acid

● 20 different amino acids

● Amino acids synthesized into a polymer called polypeptide
○ One amino acid = monopeptide
○ Many amino acids = polypeptide
Nucleic Acids
● Function
○ Genetic material
■ Stores information
● Genes, hereditary material
passed onto offspring
● Blueprint for building proteins
○ DNA → RNA → proteins
■ Transfers information
● Blueprint for new cells
● Blueprint for next generation
Nucleic Acids
● Examples
○ DNA
■ Deoxyribonucleic Acid
○ RNA
■ Ribonucleic Acid
Nucleic Acids
● Building blocks = nucleotides
nucleotide nucleotide nucleotide nucleotide

Nitrogen Bases
A - Adenine
T - Thymine
G - Guanine
C - Cytosine
U - Uracil