Biochemistry
and Polymers
Biological Macromolecules
and
Polymers
Standards
10. The bonding characteristics of carbon allow the formation of many different organic
molecules of varied sizes, shapes, and chemical properties and provide the biochemical basis
of life. As a basis for understanding this concept:
a. Students know large molecules (polymers), such as proteins, nucleic acids, and starch, are
formed by repetitive combinations of simple subunits.
10. b. Students know the bonding characteristics of carbon that result in the formation of a large
variety of structures ranging from simple hydrocarbons to complex polymers and biological
molecules.
10. c. Students know amino acids are the building blocks of proteins.
10. f.* Students know the R-group structure of amino acids and know how they combine to form
the polypeptide backbone structure of proteins.
Biological Molecules
• Most biological chemical compounds are
molecules – they have covalent bonds
(because they are mostly made up of the
nonmetals: H, C, O, and N).
• Remember: Nonmetal with Nonmetal
- form covalent compounds
• macromolecules – large molecules, usually
from biology.
Polymers
• polymers – long chain molecules that have a
repeating monomer unit.
means many
Examples:
–A–A–A–A–A–A–
monomer unit
O
H
O
H
O
H C
C
O H C
C
O H C
C
O H C
C
O H C
C
O
H
H
H
O
O
Polymers Continued
• Carbon atoms usually form the “backbone” of
polymers because carbon atoms can form:
C
C
C
C
C
C
Single bonds
Double bonds
Triple bonds
These allow the polymers to have various
structures and keep on going …
Biological Polymers
• Proteins are polymers made up of amino
acids chained together.
• Cellulose and starches are polymers
made up of sugars chained together.
• Most fats and oils are polymers
made up of fatty acids chained
together.
• Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) is a polymer
made up of sugar phosphates chained
together with nucleotides in the middle.
H
He
Li Be B
C
N
O
F
Na Mg Al
Si
P
S
Cl Ar
K
Ca
Ne
Br Kr
I
Xe
H
He
Li Be B
C
N
O
F
Na Mg Al
Si
P
S
Cl Ar
K
Ca
Ne
Br Kr
I
Xe
4 e– in valence shell