Chapter 5 :Structure and Function of Large Biological
Molecules
Type of Chemical reactions involved
1. Condensation/Dehydration synthesis reaction- bond between to organic
monomers and H2O is released and a polymer is formed
2. Hydrolysis reaction- breaking the bonds between the members of the
polymer, H2O is added or required for the reaction.
A. Carbohydrates- CHO usually 2x as many H as C and O.
1. Monomers
a. 3-5 C with O and H, in a chain or a ring form
b. examples:
c. check the linear to ring form, Fig. 5.4
d. functions: energy and building block/monomer
2. Polymers
a. disaccharides, trisaccarides and polysaccarides
b. examples, sucrose and maltose
c. functions:
i.energy storage, examples
ii. structural: cellulose, peptidoglycan, chitin
B. Lipids-often a glycerol + chains of fatty acids
1. Fats
a. glycerol + 3 fatty acids
see Fig. 5.11
b. saturated fat
c. unsaturated fat
trans fats- arise from the hydrogenating
d. functions:
2. Phospholipids
a. structure
b. function
3. Steroids
a. structure, Fig. 5.15
function:
C. Proteins/polypeptide
1. Monomers
a. amino acids, structure, common structure Fig. 5.17
2. Polymers-the peptide bonds
3. Levels of Protein structure/organization
a. primary
b. secondary
i. alpha helix
ii beta pleated sheet
c. tertiary
d. quaternary
4. Functions: see table 5.1!!!
D. Nucleic Acids
1. building block- nucleotide
a. Nitrogenous bases- A, T, G, C
purines
pyrimidines
b. PO4
c. monosaccharide- ribose or deoxyribose, Fig. 5.27
2. DNA- polymer that stores hereditary information
a. double helix
b. complementary
c. nucleus or nuclear area, forms chromosomes
3. RNA- polymer that transmits hereditary info into proteins to do the
cellular work
a. single stranded
b. ribose, U replaces T