Biomolecules
Biological Molecules
“Molecules of Life”
• Also called Organic molecules
Biological Molecules
• Biological
molecules are
large molecules
found in all living
things
4 Types of Biomolecules
•
•
•
•
1. Carbohydrates
2. Lipids
3. Proteins
4. Nucleic Acids
CHNOPS
These molecules are
• All these molecules
made of the elements:
contain the element
Carbon
• Carbon
• Hydrogen
• Nitrogen
• Oxygen
• Phosphorus
• Sulfur
All living things contain Carbon
Carbohydrates
A fancy way of
saying sugar!
Functions
1. Short-term
energy storage
2. Gives
organisms
Shape/Structure:
Example1: Exoskeleton of crabs
and beetles
Example: 2 Cellulose: plant cell
walls
Examples: Carbs are in plants!
• Glucose = sugar in
plants
• Fructose = in fruit
• Lactose = in milk
• Sucrose = table sugar
Words for sugars end in
“ose”
The subunit of a carbohydrate is
a Monosaccharide
Mono = 1
Saccharide = sugar
Monosaccharide = 1 sugar molecule
• Disaccharide = 2 sugars
Starches are polysaccharides
Polysaccharide = many sugars
More names for Carbohydrates
Structure
• Carbohydrates
are ring-shaped
molecules
Elements
• The elements that
bond to make
carbohydrates are:
• Carbon
• Hydrogen
• Oxygen
Lipids= Fats
Function
• Long term energy
storage
• Common names= fat,
oil
• Elements= C,H,O
Lipid facts
• Large , organic
molecules
• Won’t dissolve in
water
• Fats store more
energy than carbs
because they have
many carbonhydrogen bonds
• Can be “saturated” or
“unsaturated"
Saturated and Unsaturated fats
• Saturated= solid at
room temperature,
Raise “bad” (LDL)
cholesterol levels
Ex= animal products,
coconut
• Unsaturated=liquid at
room temperature,
Raise “good” (HDL)
cholesterol
Ex= olive oil, avocado,
almonds
More Examples
• Lard
• Steroids: examples
Cholesterol &
testosterone
• Waxes (like earwax!)
• Phospholipids: these
make up your cell
membrane
Phospholipids
Lipids
• Subunit= fatty Acids
• Shape= chains
Proteins
2 Main Functions
Examples=
1. Form structures, like
muscle
Meat, muscle, enzymes
2.Act as Enzymes,
which speed chemical
reactions
Elements= C,H,O,N,S
Proteins’ subunit is amino acids
• Proteins are one of
the most diverse
biomolecules, having
lots of different
shapes
• They are composed
of 20 different types
of amino acids
• Amino acids have an
amino group (-NH3)
and a carboxyl group
(-COOH)
More Functions of Proteins
• Control rates of
reactions & regulate
cell processes
• Form bones &
muscles
• Transport substances
in & out of cells
• Help fight disease.
ENZYMES are Proteins!
Enzymes are important proteins
that speed up the chemical
reactions in your body
• Because they help these
reactions happen, they are called
catalysts
Ex. The enzyme amylase helps
break down carbohydrates into
sugar when you chew
How Enzymes Work
• Every reaction needs energy
to get started; this is called
activation energy
• Enzymes decrease the amount
of energy needed to get these
reactions going
• Different reactions in your body
need different enzymes
• Without the correct enzyme
available, your body cannot
function properly
Enzyme Action
• How well enzymes work depend on 3
criteria: temperature, pH & concentration
1. Temperature: enzymes in your body work
best at normal body temperature
2. pH: Different enzymes work best at
different pH levels
3. Concentration: in general, the higher the
concentration, the better the enzyme will
work at speeding up the reaction.
pH Scale
Nucleic Acids
• Elements: CHNOP
• Functions: Store and
transmit genetic
information
• 2 Kinds to remember
1. DNA=
deoxyribonucleic acid
2. RNA=
ribonucleic acid
Nucleic acids- shape & subunit
Shape of DNA= double
helix
Shape of RNA= single
strand
Subunit= nucleotide
3 parts:
1. Sugar
2. Phosphate
3. Nitrogen-containing
base
• DNA has 4 Types of
bases= A,T,C,G
(adenine, thymine,
cytosine & guanine)
Compare DNA and RNA
DNA structure= double
helix
RNA structure= single
strand