Macromolecule Notes
Macromolecules: Proteins, Lipids, Polysaccharides
(Carbohydrates) and Nucleic Acids
Monomer: single building block for a macromolecule
Proteins (polypeptides)
 Monomer: amino acid (a.a.)
 Compound in your body with nitrogen, carbon, oxygen and
hydrogen
 20 essential amino acids in your body
 Linked by a peptide bond
 Examples:
o Beef
o Hair
o Eggs
o Hemoglobin (blood component)
o Insulin (lacking in diabetics to process sugar)
o In muscles
Lipids (fats)
 Monomer: glycerol and 3 fatty acids
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 Saturated Fats
o All single bonds in the fatty acids
o Bad for you: the bonds allow the fats to clump and clog
arteries
 Unsaturated Fats
o Double bonds in the fatty acids
 Examples:
o Butter
o Oil
o Cholesterol
Polysaccharides (carbohydrates)
 Monomer: monosaccharides (sugars)
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o Usually glucose (six-sided sugar)
 Examples
o Bread
o Cereal
o Potatoes
o Fruits (fructose)
o Pasta
Nucleic Acids (DNA/RNA)
 Monomer: nucleotide (sugar, phosphate, base)
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Adenine-A
Guanine-G
Cytosine-C
Thymine-T
Sugar: Deoxyribose
Double Helix
Stays in nucleus
DNA Vs. RNA
Adenine-A
Guanine-G
Cytosine-C
URACIL-U
Sugar: Ribose
Single Strand
Genetic messenger-moves
around cell
RELATING TO THE CELL:
 Energy
 Structure/Support
 Cell-Cell Communication
Carbohydrates:
1. Monosaccharides
 Made during photosynthesis
 Energy source
 Examples
 Glucose
 Fructose (fruit sugar)
 Galactose (milk sugar)
2. Disaccharides
 Combinations of monosaccharides
 Energy source
 Examples
 Glucose + glucose = maltose
 Glucose + galactose = lactose
 Glucose + fructose = sucrose
3. Polysaccharides
 Combinations of mono- and disaccharides
 Energy Storage
 Starch in plants
 Glycogen in animals
 Structural Support
 Cellulose in plants: Cell wall
 Chitin in animals: Exoskeleton
 Cell-cell communication/recognition/adhesion
 Glycolipids
 Glycoproteins
 Found in cell membrane
FATS and the Cell:
 All fats is hydrophobic (water-hating)
 3 types:
o Triglycerols
o Phospholipids
o Steroids
Triglycerols: 1 glycerol & 3 fatty acids
 Energy storage
 Cushions/Insulates body/nerves
 Examples: Fats/Oils
Phospholipids: 1 glycerol, 2 fatty acids, phosphate group
(hydrophilic)
 Make up phospholipids bilayer of cell membrane
Steroids: VERY hydrophobic
 Help maintain membrane fluidity (Cholesterol)
 Sex hormones: testosterone, estrogen, progesterone