Biological

Macromolecul
es
 They’re
Organic!!!
What’s an organic molecule??
 Compounds made up of hydrocarbons
 Carbon and Hydrogen atoms!!
 Living/once living (YOU are Organic!)
 (Not CO2. It’s a gas!!!!!)
 There are four classes of
biological macromolecules we
will be looking at:
First – Let’s
Concentrat Proteins
e on these
three! Lipids
Carbohydrates

Nucleic acids (This will be last)

A very, very large
molecule!!
Biological
Macromolecule
All biological macro-molecule
are organic, meaning they all
contain hydrocarbons…Carbon
atoms (with attached
Hydrogens!) Other elements
may include Oxygen, Nitrogen,
Macromolecules
 We’re looking
at
“Mono” means
one
SO… a polymer is
made up of many
monomers!!
Polymer
Analogies
EXAMPLE of MONOMER
POLYMER

Ladder ?

String of Pearls Necklace ?

 Answers

EXAMPLE of MONOMER
POLYMER
Ladder Each Rung

Necklace Each Pearl

Can you think of a polymer??

What monomers make it up??

ALL four can be found in food!!

Think about it!!

Look at the label to the
left. 3 of the 4
macromolecules are
labeled!!
(0 grams in this product)

1____________________
(13 grams in this product)

2____________________
(9 grams in this product)

3____________________
Saccharide
Monosaccharide
Disaccharide
 polysaccharide
Saccharide

 The word
saccharide comes from
the Greek word σάκχαρον
(sákkharon), meaning "su
gar“
 Mosaccharide
Examples of monosaccharides
include glucose (dextrose),
fructose (levulose), and galactose.
Monosaccharides are the building
blocks of disaccharides (such as
sucrose and lactose) and
polysaccharides (such as cellulose
and starch)
 Disaccharide
A disaccharide (also called a double
sugar or bivose) is the sugar formed
when two monosaccharides (simple
sugars) are joined by glycosidic
linkage. Like
monosaccharides, disaccharides are
soluble in water. Three
common examples are sucrose,
lactose, and maltose.
 Polysaccharide
Examples include
storage polysaccharides suc
h as starch and glycogen, and
structural polysaccharides su
ch as cellulose and chitin.
On to Our First
Biomolecule!!

Carbohydrates!!
Carbohydrates
C, H, O
 SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES
They are the main source of energy for the
body !
Simple sugars Monosaccharide
Glucose, for example (Yes it IS a monomer!!), is
the main product of photosynthesis!!

C6H12O6 Atoms: C, H,
 COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES

Long-term storage for energy

Polysaccharides  made up of glucose
polymers
Below is a part of the polymer starch!!
Monosaccharide (one
saccharide)
Glucose Used in dextrose,
blood sugar; the form
utilized by the human body
Galactose Found in milk
and milk products
Fructose Found in fruits
and honey
 The above monosaccharides all have
the same chemical formula of
C6H12O6 and its structure is the one
that made the difference in its
properties. For example, galactose
(163-169oC) has a higher melting point
than glucose (148-155oC). Glucose is
sweeter than galactose.
Disaccharide (two
saccharides)
Maltose Glucose + Glucose
Found in malt
Sucrose Glucose + Fructose
Found in regular table sugar,
sugarcane, and sugar beet
Lactose Glucose + Galactose
Found in milk and milk products
Individualsaccharides are
connected via glycosidic
bonds. A water molecule is
released when two
saccharides are combined
 Starch Continued

Found in: Grains (wheat, rice, corn, oats, barley)

Tubers such as potatoes are rich in starch.
Cellulose
** ALSO a glucose
polymer
**Offers the plant
support

** Energy storage

** Makes up cell
wall

** Food source for

seeds and plant
bulbs
Glycogen in Animals

**A branched
polymer made up
of numerous
glucose
monomers

**Long-term
energy storage
found in the liver

** Quickly broken
down into
Complex Carbs and Energy

 Starches, Cellulose and Glycogen are

broken down by proteins called enzymes
(remember digestion in
lysosomes!!??.....similar concept!)
 Broken down into their monomers 
Glucose
 Glucose is further broken down during
cellular respiration in the mitochondria
for energy
About 36 ATP molecules of energy per each
glucose molecule!!!
Lipids
Mostly C,H and some
O
STORED ENERGY  Broken down for energy
They INSULATE the body to help maintain
normal body temperature and they
CUSHION the internal organs for protection.
Include waxes, Oils
include steroids such as cholesterol and the
sex hormones estrogen and testosterone
Anabolic steroids build muscle
They waterproof surfaces of animals, plants,
and fruits- these are waxes!
THINK: Waterproof, insulate, steroids,
energy, cushion…
 Remember the cell membrane?
PhosphoLIPID bilayer of the cell
membrane? The fatty acid tails are lipids!
It’s semi-permeable, allowing only certain
molecules to diffuse across the membrane
to enter or exit the cell.
LIPIDS
 Fat Made up of fatty acid monomers –
Glycerides that have a Glycerol Backbone
(Circled) and a Fatty Acid Tail(s)

Mostly C, H with
some O
 Triglycerides
Glycerol Group with 3 Fatty Acid
Chains

This is a triglyceride molecule

NOW ONTO PROTEINS

They are the major structural molecules in living

things for growth and repair : muscles,
ligaments, tendons, bones, hair, skin, nails…IN
FACT ALL CELL MEMBRANES have protein in them
They make up antibodies in the immune system
They make up enzymes for helping chemical
reactions
They makeup non-steriod hormones which
THINK: Proteins= membranes, enzymes,
antibodies, non-steriod hormones, structural
WHAT HAD YOU EAT FOR
BREAKFAST?
 Protein
s
Made up of Mostly C, H, O
and N (Some Sulfur)
 The word protein came from the Greek term
proteios meaning first.
 One can think of protein as the beginning of
life.
 Proteins are composed of four elements,
namely, carbon, hydrogen,oxygen and
nitrogen.
 Sulfurand other metals are sometimes also
found in proteins.
 Ifcarbohydrates are made up of saccharides,
proteins are made up of amino acids. An
amino acid is a molecule that has an amine
and a carboxyl group
There are 20 amino acids.
The combination of many amino
acids creates protein.
Amino acids are joined together
with a peptide bond. Proteins
are also called polypeptides.
Hydrophobic and
hydrophilic tendencies are
recurring properties
among biomolecules. It
has an important effect on
the configuration that
biomolecules acquire.
Different types of
proteins
a. H-bonding between amino
acids which creates either a
helical structure or a pleated
sheet
b. Disulfide bonds for amino
acids containing sulfur
c. Salt bridges
d. Hydrophobic and hydrophilic
tendencies
Keratin
 Keratin is a structural protein found
in hair, skin, and nails.
 It is a highly cross-linked protein
containing α-helix and β-pleated
sheets.
 Sheep’s wool is made largely of
keratin.
 Fibroin / Silk protein
 Fibroin is found in silk. Silk has a smooth and
soft texture.
 It is one of the strongest natural fibers that
have high resistance to deformation.
 It is also a good insulation. Silk is primarily
composed of β-pleated sheets.
 The long polypeptide chain doubles back on its
own running parallel connected together by H-
bonds.
 Collagen
 Collagen is a major insoluble fibrous protein
found in connective tissues such as tendons,
ligaments, skin, cartilage and the cornea of
the eye.
 Itcomprises as much as 30% of proteins in
animals. Its strength is attributed to its triple
helix structure comprising of α-helices
braided together.
 When several triple helices combine, they
form the fibrils that make up connective
tissues.
Enzymes function to
catalyze chemical reactions.
1. Lipase - help in digestion of fats
2. Pepsin - help in breaking down
proteins into peptides (smaller
units)
3. Sucrase - also called invertase,
help in the digestion of sugars and
starches
 Myoglobin
Myoglobin is a polypeptide that
stores oxygen in muscles.
 It is a globular protein comprised
of 153 amino acids in a single
polypeptide chain.
It contains a heme group which has
an iron (II) ion at its center. This is
where the oxygen is stored.
 Hemoglobin
Hemoglobin is a globular protein
that carries oxygen from the
lungs to the bloodstream.
 It is composed of four sub-units,
each containing a heme group
that enables it to transport four
oxygen molecules at a time.
Proteins
Proteins
Aside from the protein
found in animal sources…
protein can also be found in
fruits, vegetables, grains,
and nuts. (it just does not have as many amino acids)
Hair, Skin, and Nails
Microscope View of
Skin and Nails

This is skin This is a nail

The shapes of
Proteins Determines
it’s Function

Amino
Acids !!!
Ribosomes are Proteins
that are Involved in
Creating Proteins!!
 Hemoglobin
 A protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen
**Antibodies are part of the immune system.
**When something enters the body that isn’t
supposed to be there, like certain bacteria,
antibodies find the invader and stick
themselves onto it.
**White Blood cells destroy the invaders
Enzymes
 Folded specific to its function…like a lock and key model!

Pepsin
Lactase breaks Amylase
breaks down breaks
down proteins down
The 4th type is
NUCLEIC ACIDS
The types of Nucleic Acids
DNA (DeoxyriboNucleic Acid)
RNA (RiboNucleic Acid)
Nucleic Acid
 Nucleic acids play an essential role in the storage,
transfer, and expression of genetic information.
 Nucleic acid was discovered by a twenty-fouryear-
old Swiss physician named Friedrich Miescher in
1868.
 He was puzzled that an unknown substance in
white blood cells did not resemble carbohydrates,
proteins, or lipids.
 He was able to isolate the substance from the
nucleus and initially called it nuclein. He eventually
was able to break down nuclein into protein and
nucleic acids.
 He found out that nucleic acids contain carbon,
hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
The most common
examples of nucleic acids
“DNA” is short for
Deoxyribonucleic Acid
**Your genetic makeup!!
“DNA” is short for
Ribonucleic Acid
**Works with DNA to create
proteins
 DNA is a nucleic acid that carries the genetic
code of organisms. It is fondly termed as the
blueprint of life.
 RNA, on another hand, carries the
information from the DNA to the cellular
factories for the synthesis of proteins.
 Ifcarbohydrates are composed of saccharide
units, proteins of amino acids, and lipids of
fatty acids, nucleic acids are composed of
nucleotides.
 Nucleic acids are also known as
polynucleotides
A nucleotide
has three parts:
a. Nitrogenous base
b. Five-carbon
carbohydrate or sugar
c. Phosphate group
The nitrogenous bases of
DNA and RNA are:
DNA’s : Adenine (A),
Guanine (G), Cytosine (C),
and Thymine (T)
RNA’s : Adenine (A),
Guanine (G), Cytosine (C),
and Uracil (U)
DNA has a different sugar
group than RNA.
DNA has deoxyribose while
RNA has ribose.