Biomolecules
Kara Stevens
Organic Molecules
• Organic molecule = any molecule that contains
carbon
Biomolecules
• Some biomolecules are
macromolecules
• Macro = Big
Types of Macromolecules
• Four main macromolecules:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Carbohydrate
Lipid
Protein
Nucleic acid
• Monomer = a section or building block of a large
molecule
• Polymer = a large molecule made of many
monomers
Carbohydrates
• These are the main source of
energy in our bodies.
• Some carbs are good for us,
some are not so good for us.
Carbohydrates
• Elements: C,H,O in 1:2:1 ratio
• Monomer:
• Monosaccharide (simple sugars - glucose)
• Polymers:
• Disaccharide – 2 monosaccharides (complex sugars sucrose)
• Polysaccharide – many monosaccharides
Ex: starch, cellulose
Names end in –ose
• Ose= sugar
• Sacchar = sugar
Simple Carbohydrates
Simple Sugars:
• Monosaccharides
• Foods: fruits (Fructose),
candy (glucose), milk (Galactose)
• Disaccharides
• Foods: Table sugar (sucrose), Malt sugar (maltose from breakdown of starches including grains), Milk
sugar (lactose – think lactose intolerant)
Complex Carbohydrates
Complex Carbohydrates:
• Polysaccharides
• Foods: Potatoes, bread, pasta (starch), Bran Fiber
(cellulose indigestible for humans)
Nucleic Acids
• DNA and RNA
• Genetic
material that
controls our
traits
Nucleic Acids
• Elements: C,H,O,N,P
• Monomers: Nucleotides
• Nucleotides are made of
• a phosphate group
• a sugar (deoxyribose DNA or ribose RNA)
• a Nitrogen Base
• Polymers: DNA, RNA
Nucleotide: Draw me!
Nucleic Acids
• Uses:
• DNA carry genetic information and recipes to
make proteins
• RNA make proteins and make up ribosomes
• Produced by:
• replication of DNA in the nucleus from existing
DNA
DNA to Protein
Proteins
• Protein builds almost everything in our bodies.
Proteins
• Elements: C, H, O, N
• Monomer: Amino Acids (20 different)
• Polymer: Polypeptides (a chain of amino acids)
that are folded into proteins
20 different
amino acids
Folding a Protein
A – amino acid chain
- 1st level
B/C – amino acids
are twisted or folded
– 2nd level
D – the twisted chain
is folded again
– 3rd level
E – multiple chains
are arranged together
– 4th level (hemoglobin)
Proteins
• Uses: Structure of body tissues - muscles,
bones, blood, hair, skin - most of your body
• Foods: Egg whites, meat, fish, beans, nuts, and
combinations of vegetables, grains, and other
foods (for the vegetarians out there!)
• Made during protein synthesis in the ribosome
organelle. It’s made from the recipe in DNA.
High Protein Foods
For the Veg-Heads Out
There!
Spinach: 18 of the 20 amino acids, high iron, high
vitamin C, and fiber
• Similar with other dark leafy greens
Unbalanced vegetarian diets can lack:
•
•
•
•
•
vitamin B-12 (use a sublingual vitamin)
iron (leafy greens, cast iron pans)
zinc
omega-3 fatty acids (try flax seed oil)
essential amino acids (combine legumes, veggies,
leaf greens, nuts, whole grains to get them all)
Lipids
• These are fats and oils.
• Lipids store energy in our bodies.
• Not soluble in water
Lipids (Oils, Fats, Waxes)
• Elements: C,H,O but NOT in 1:2:1 ratio
• Generally in the shape of a glycerol with one or
2 tails.
• 2 Monomers: Glycerol and Fatty Acid Chains
• Polymers: Triglycerides made from1 glycerol
plus 3 fatty acid chains
Triglyceride
Constructing a Triglyceride
Lipids
• Uses: Long term energy storage,
making cell membranes
(cholesterol and phospholipids),
• Foods: olive oil, avocados, butter,
lard, beeswax
• Produced by process of
dehydration synthesis in the
organelle smooth ER
• Your body uses it for chemical
messengers (steroids), insulation
and padding your organs
Oils Vs. Fats
• Oils are liquid and fats are solid at room temperature
• Oils are stored in seeds of plants
• Fats are stored under skin or around organs of
animals
• Lipids are broken down in the small intestine by
lipase (an enzyme) and bile produced by the liver.
• Lip = fat (lipid)
Saturated Vs. Unsaturated Fats
Unsaturated fats
have one or more
double bonds
between carbons
so they do not
have all the
possible
hydrogens
Hydrogenated oils
= more hydrogens
Fatty foods