STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF BIOMOLECULES
OBJECTIVES
Identify and model the structure and function of the four macromolecules.
Explain how monomers are built into polymers through dehydration synthesis and how polymers are broken
down through hydrolysis.
Identify how the human body uses the four macromolecules.
NOTES
MONOMERS AND POLYMERS
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Mono- means ________________________
Poly- means _________________________
-Mer means _________________________
A __________________ is a small “building-block” molecule. It is able to combine with other molecules to form
larger chains or combinations, called ____________________.
__________________________ determines __________________________
Monomers and polymers are the basis of the major ______________________.
CARBOHYDRATES
 Carbohydrates, or ______________________, are molecules composed of purely ________________,
_______________, and ___________________.
 Carbohydrates are always in a ______________ of C: H: O. They are ___________________.
 Carbohydrates can be divided into distinct structural classes:
o _____________________________________________________
 Example : ______________________________________
o _____________________________________________________
 Example: ________________________________________
POLYSACCHARIDES
 Polysaccharides are macromolecule chains of _______________ length consisting of ______________
monosaccharides (hundreds to thousands) condensed together.
 Polysaccharides serve three primary biological functions:
o _____________________________________
 Example: ________________ in animals. ______________________ in plants.
o _____________________________________
 Example: _______________________ the most abundant organic compound on Earth.
o ________________________________________
 Example: means of ____________________________ in specific cells
LIPIDS
 Lipids are composed of the elements: __________________, _________________, and
______________________ in a ratio _____________________ than 1:2:1
 A class of molecules whose common property lies in their _________________________ in water. In
other words, they are _______________________________.
 There are _________________ main classes of lipids.
TRIGLYCERIDES
 Composed of ________________________ and ___________________________________.
 The most common fats are ____________________________________________.
o Triglycerides:
 Store _____________________________________
 _________________________________ from cold
 _________________________________ for organs
 Saturated fats contain ___________________________________ bonds.
 Unsaturated fats contain _________________________________ bonds.
PHOSPHOLIPIDS
 A phospholipid is a ____________ lipid that contains a _____________________ attached to _____ fatty
acids.
 In a cell, the cell’s membrane is entirely constructed of a phospholipid _______________________
arranged in a tail-to-tail formation. This layer forms the basis for ________________ biological
membranes.
STERIOIDS
 All steroids are made of a common structure of ____________ fused carbon rings.
 Each different steroid contains ____________________________ chemical groups attached to these
rings.
 Steroids have two major functions:
o part of the structure of _________________________________________________
o ___________________________.
 The most common steroid is _________________________.
o It is found in the cell membrane of cells where it aids in maintaining the correct ______________
of the membrane.
o It also serves as the _________________________ molecule for the synthesis of other steroids
including bile salts (aids in the digestion of fats) and steroid hormones.
PROTEINS
 Proteins are composed of the elements ______________, ________________, _________________, and
___________________
 Proteins are built from monomers termed _____________________________.
 Amino acids are linked together to form polymers called _________________________. Polypeptides
can be _______________ and __________________ in a multitude of ways.
 There are ___________________ amino acids in all, each with its own unique properties.
 _______________________ Bond – Peptide bonds are the bonds that link amino acids into
polypeptides.
 A protein is a polypeptide ______________________ and arranged in a specific orientation.
 Proteins serve a variety of functions including: acting as ________________ or
_______________________ materials, _____________ binding, and ________________________,
____________________________, and ________________________________________ proteins.
NUCLEIC ACIDS
 Nucleic acids are composed of the elements _______________, ________________,
___________________, _____________________, and ___________________________.
 Nucleic acids form a group of compounds that primarily serve to _____________ and _______________
genetic information.
 There are two types of nucleic acids
o _____________________________________________________________
o _____________________________________________________________
 Nucleic Acids are polymers built from monomers called ___________________________
 Each nucleotide consists of a specific ____________________________, a five carbon
________________, and a _________________________________.
 The nitrogenous bases can be either _______________________ or ______________________.
o Pyrimidines contain ___________ carbon-nitrogen ring.
o Purines contain ___________ carbon-nitrogen rings.
 DNA consists of the bases __________________ (A), ___________________ (T), ___________________
(G), and ___________________(C).
 RNA consists of the same bases except it contains ___________________ (U), instead of thymine.
 Nucleotide bases have a specific paring pattern: ______________________ pairs with cytosine, and
thymine (or uracil) pairs with _______________________.
 Both polymers have a sugar-phosphate ___________________.
 RNA molecules consist of a _________________ polynucleotide chain. Conversely, DNA is
_____________ polynucleotide chains spiraled around one another in a double ________________. The
two “strands” are held together by __________________ bonds between the bases
 Functions of nucleic acids:
o DNA _________________ large amounts of genetic data so that hereditary information may be
passed on to other cells.
o RNA serves as a means of ______________________ and ____________________ genetic
information from DNA into polypeptide sequences