Qu a r t e r 4 -
Mo d u l e 2 :
B io m o l e c u l e s
Biomolecules are mainly made up of carbon,
hydrogen and oxygen as well as proteins and
nucleic acids and some derivatives of
carbohydrates and lipids.
There are certain complex organic molecules
which form the basis of life. These substances
are part of the chemical composition of all living
organisms. These substances are also required
for their growth, maintenance and even for
survival in extreme environment conditions.
These substances are called biomolecules.
Ma j o r C a t e g o r i e s
o f B i o m o l e c u l e s
Main classes of biomolecules:
.Carbohydrates
.Proteins
.Lipids
.Nucleic acids
Macromolecules - large molecules composed of
thousands of
covalently connected atoms.
There are 6 most common elements that can be
found in biomolecules. These are called CHNOPS
or CHONSP elements; the letters stand for the
chemical abbreviations of the names of these
elements.
Biomolecules build up living organisms and are
also required for their growth and maintenance.
They are any of the numerous substances that
are produced by cells and living organisms.
Biomolecules have a wide range of sizes and
structures and perform a vast array of functions;
thus, they are composed of different kinds of
elements. These are called CHNOPS elements;
the letters stand for the chemical abbreviations
of:
Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Sulfur,
Macromolec Elements Present
ules
Carbohydrates carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
Protein carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and
sulfur
Lipids carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus,
sulfur (lipids can also contain N, but for
most cases, this is sufficient)
Nucleic Acid carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus,
nitrogen and sulfur
Carbohydrates These molecules are
comprised of the elements carbon, hydrogen, and
oxygen. these molecules are commonly known as
sugars. Carbohydrates can range in size from
very small to very large. Carbohydrates are often
built into long chains by stringing together
smaller units. This works like adding beads to a
bracelet to make it longer. The general term for a
single unit or bead is a monomer. The term for a
long string of monomers is a polymer. Examples
of carbohydrates include the sugars found in milk
(lactose) and table sugar (sucrose).
Carbohydrates are chemically defined as
polyhydroxy aldehydes or ketones or compounds
which produce them on hydrolysis. In layman’s
terms, we acknowledge carbohydrates as sugars
or substances that taste sweet. They are
collectively called as saccharides (Greek:
sakcharon = sugar). Depending on the number of
sugar units, carbohydrates can be as
monosaccharides (1 sugar unit), oligosaccharides
(2-10 sugar units) and or polysaccharides (more
than 10 sugar units). Carbohydrates have several
functions in cells.
They are an excellent source of energy for the
many different activities going on in our cells.
Some carbohydrates may have a structural
function. For example, the material that makes
plants stand tall and gives wood its tough
properties, is a polymer form of glucose known as
cellulose. Other types of sugar polymers make up
the stored forms of energy known as starch and
glycogen. Starch is found in plant products such
as potatoes, and glycogen is found in animals.
Protein are another class of indispensable
molecules , which make up around 50 percent of
the cellular dry weight. Protein are comprised of
the element carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen
and sometimes sulfur. Protein are polymers of
amino acids, arranged in the form of chain called
polypeptide. Depending on how the structure of a
protein is arranged, it gives rise to a certain level
of structural organization. The level can be
classified as primary, secondary, tertiary and
quaternary. Proteins play both structural and
dynamic roles.
They help form many of the structural features of
the body including hair, nails and muscles.
Myosin is the protein that allows movement by
contraction of muscles. Proteins are also present
as a major component of cell membranes. Being
part of cell membranes, proteins act as carriers or
channels, facilitating the movement of ions and
molecules in and out of the cells. Ions like
sodium, potassium and chloride, molecules like
glucose are maintained at proper concentration
for cells to function normally.
Proteins also acts as catalyst. A large group of
proteins, known as enzymes, enable the cells to
carry out chemical reactions fast. In order for the
organism to maintain growth and survival, the
food being consumed must be converted to
energy at an appreciable rate.
Lipid
The term, lipid refers to a wide variety of
biomolecules including fats, oils, waxes and
steroid hormones. Regardless of their structure,
location or function in a cell/body, all lipids share
common feature that enable them to grouped
together. They do not dissolve in water; they are
hydrophobic. The hydrophobic nature of the lipids
dictates many of their uses in biological systems.
Lipids are composed of primarily of carbon,
hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur [lipids
also contain nitrogen in some case].
Fats are a good source of stored energy while oils
and waxes are used to form protective layers on
our skin, preventing infection. Some lipids, the
steroid hormones, are important regulators of cell
activity. The activities of steroid hormones such
as estrogen have been implicated in cancers of
female reproductive systems.
Nuclei Acids
Nucleic acid, naturally occurring chemical
compound that is capable of being broken down
to yield phosphorus acid, sugars, and mixture of
organic bases [purines and pyrimidines]. Nucleic
acids are main information- carrying molecules of
the cell, and by directing the process of protein
synthesis, they determine the inherited
characteristics of every living thing. These
molecules are comprised of elements carbon,
hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and nitrogen.
The two main classes of nucleic acids are
deoxyribonucleic acid [DNA] and ribonucleic acid
[RNA]. DNA is the master blueprint for life and
constitutes the genetic materials in all free living
organisms and most viruses. DNA contains the
information on what proteins will be created. On
the other hand, RNA is one responsible to create
the proteins based on the information given by
the DNA. RNA is the genetic material of certain
viruses, but it is also found in all living cells.
Nucleic acids are polynucleotides are long
chainlike molecules composed of a series of
nearly identical building blocks called
nucleotides. Each nucleotide consists of a
nitrogen-containing aromatic base attached to a
pentose [five-carbon] sugar, which is in turn
attached to phosphate group. Each nucleic acid
contains four or five possible nitrogen-containing
bases; adenine[A], guanine [G], cytosine [C],
thymine [T], and uracil [U]. A and G are
categorize as purines, while C, T , and U are
collectively called pyrimidines.
Biomolecules have a single basic build unit
called monomer. IT comes from the Greek
words monos, meaning “single” and meros
meaning “part”. A monomer is a single unit
forming a long chain of molecule is now
composed of many atoms. Monomers are
joined together to form polymers. The prefix
“-poly” comes from the Greek word polus,
meaning “many”, so polymer means “many
part.” This is a long molecule consisting of
many similar building blocks, or a repeated
Macromolec Elements
Monomer Examples Use
ules Present
glucose,
Carbon,
Carbohydrate monosaccharide fructose, starch, energy storage;
Hydrogen,
s oxygen
s glycogen, structure
cellulose
Storage;
signals;
Carbon,
structural;
Hydrogen, enzymes, some
Proteins Oxygen,
amino acids
hormones
defensive;
catalyst;
Nitrogen, Sulfur
transport;
receptors
Carbon, energy storage,
Hydrogen, Butter, oil, protection
Lipids Oxygen, fatty acids cholesterol, chemical
Phosphorus, beeswax messengers,
Sulfur repel water
