Many molecules are involved with biology

Here are some examples, in-depth:

CARBOHYDRATES are a basic source of energy for many organisms. The

name CARBOHYDRATES shows that there is
Carbon + Hydrogen + Oxygen.

Typical carbohydrates have oxygen and hydrogen in the same ratio as water,
for example, glucose is C6H12O6

Another term for carbohydrates is saccharides.

● Monosaccharides are simple saccharides. Glucose is a monomer, a very

simple sugar used as the building block for many polymers.
- Glucose is a monosaccharide. It is effortless to convert to energy for
most organisms; it is ‘quick energy’.

● Polysaccharides are more complex, they are molecules that are a

‘group’/’collection’ of the monomers. Glycogen, which is a polymer built
out of glucose, is a polysaccharide. It is a macromolecule, larger than
molecules like glucose, and spanning thousands of atoms.
- Glycogen (a polysaccharide) is a store of energy. In plants, some
polysaccharides play a role in giving them a rigid structure.

PROTEINS are biological macromolecules, thousands of times heavier than an

individual atom.
Proteins are made of amino acids, a monomer. Chains of amino acids form
polypeptide chains, of which varying numbers bond to form proteins.

Amino acids ->form-> Polypeptide Chains ->form-> Proteins.

In organisms, proteins play a

- Structural role (in cells)
- Mechanical role: actin and myosin proteins are needed to make muscles
contract.
- They can be enzymes - biological catalysts.
- Immune system
- Signals - they act as receptors
LIPIDS are macromolecules, are not always fats and oils, a common definition
is that they don’t dissolve in water.
They play a role in
- Energy storage
- Signalling, lipids can be hormones
- Cellular membranes

Fats are made of 3 Fatty acids and glycerol.

NUCLEIC ACIDS are polymers and macromolecules. The building blocks of

nucleic acids are nucleotides. They store genetic information in each cell,
which gives the cell ‘directions’ on functioning.