BIOMOLECULES

Objectives:
1. Recognize the major categories of biomolecules
such as carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and
nucleic acids;
2. Differentiate the biomolecules from each other in
terms of their structure and function.

MR. RENEDICK CAPILI

SCIENCE-10 TEACHER
What are
BIOMOLECULES?
 Organic compounds made by
living things
 Compounds essential to life
 Also called biochemicals
 Some are very large - polymers
 There are thousands of different
biomolecules, but are separated
into 4 categories
FOUR CATEGORIES OF
BIOMOLECULES

■ CARBOHYDRATES
■ LIPIDS
■ PROTEINS
■ NUCLEIC ACIDS
 CARBOHYDRATES
• The simplest biomolecules

• The word carbohydrate literally

means “HYDRATES OF CARBON”
(CH2O)n

• Contain 3 elements:
Carbon (C)
Hydrogen (H)
Oxygen (O)
 FUNCTIONS
• Carbohydrates provide energy and
regulation of blood glucose.
• It prevents the breakdown of
proteins for energy.
• Part of the structural material of
plants
• Carbohydrates also help with fat
metabolism. If the body has
enough energy for its immediate
needs, it stores extra energy as fat.
Representation of Carbohydrates
Breaking down into microscopic molecules

Loaf of bread Bread crumbs Polysaccharide

Monosaccharide Disaccharide
 Subtypes of Carbohydrates

MONOSACCHARIDES
(mono-“one” sacchar- “sugar”)
■ simple sugars and monomers of
carbohydrates
■ have a formula of (CH2O)n, and
they typically contain three to
Monosaccharide seven carbon atoms.
EXAMPLES OF
MONOSACCHARI
DES
■ GLUCOSE
■ GALACTOSE
■ FRUCTOSE
 Subtypes of Carbohydrates

DISACCHARIDES
■ form when two
monosaccharides undergo a
condensation reaction
EXAMPLES OF
DISACCHARIDES
■ MALTOSE
■ LACTOSE
■ SUCROSE
 Subtypes of Carbohydrates
POLYSACCHARIDES
■ A long chain of
monosaccharides linked by
glycosidic bonds.
■ The typical polysaccharide is
between 200 and 2500
monosaccharides long.
EXAMPLES OF
POLYSACCHARIDE
S ■ STARCH
■ GLYCOGEN
■ CELLULOSE
CheckPOINT: Carbohydrates
1. What is the primary function of carbohydrates?
2. What are the elements that make up
carbohydrates?
3. What are the building blocks of carbohydrates?
4. What simple sugar is present in fruits?
5. What carbohydrate is composed of two simple
sugars (monosaccharides) linked by a glycosidic
bond?
6. What disaccharide will form after the
condensation reaction between glucose and
galactose?
CheckPOINT: Carbohydrates
7. What way of representing carbohydrates is shown in
figure 1?
For items 8 – 10, identify whether the following is
monosaccharide, disaccharide, or polysaccharide.
8. Maltose
9. Starch
10.Galactose

Figure 1
 LIPIDS
• A class of biological molecules
defined by low solubility in water

• The word lipid is derived from a

greek word “lipos” which means FAT

• Contain 3 elements:
Carbon (C)
Hydrogen (H)
Oxygen (O)
LIPIDS
■ But unlike carbohydrates, fats are
more complex & take much longer
to break down.

■ Lipids include:
– Fats
– Oils

■ are high-energy molecules that

plants and animals use to store
energy in reserves for longer
periods.
 FUNCTIONS
• Energy source and storage

• structural components of cell

• Shock absorption and

insulation(maintains
homeostasis)

• Hormones
BUILDING
BLOCKS OF
LIPIDS
CLASSIFICATION OF
LIPIDS
■ Fats and Oils
■ Waxes
■ Phospholipids
■ Steroids
■ Prostaglandins
 Fats and Oils
■ These are the most abundant of
the lipid compounds.

■ Triglycerides or triacylglycerols
FATS – made up of a glycerol and 3
fatty acids

■ FATS – solid at room

■ OILS – liquid at room

temperature

OILS
WAXES
■ Lipids that are harder and less
greasy compared to fats.
■ Have high melting point at
solid at room temperature.
■ Excellent coating material
due to their repellency,
impermeability, and low
toxicity. – Cuticle of plants
PHOSPHOLIPIDS
• Form part of the structure of the
cell membrane

• Important in the transport of lipids

in the body

• Made up of a glycerol,
phosphate group and two fatty
acids
STEROIDS
• Also called sterols

• Lipids characterized by the

presence of four linked carbon
rings – 3 cyclohexane rings and 1
cyclopentane rings.

• Examples:
• Cholesterol
• Estrogen
• Testosterone
 PROSTAGLANDINS
 Biochemically synthesized from the
fatty acid, arachidonic acid
 Produce fevers and inflammatory
reactions
FATS  Functions:
 Stimulate constriction of
damaged blood vessels
 Induce labor and reproductive
processes
 Increase blood flow in kidneys

OILS
PROTEINS
 Also known as POLYPEPTIDES

 Important component of all living

systems and perform diverse functions
inside the cell

 formed by a linear combination of amino

acids monomers (among 20) by peptide
linkage

 Contain the following elements:

 Carbon Hydrogen
 Oxygen Nitrogen
FUNCTIONS
Function Description Example
Antibodies bind
to specific
Immunoglobulin
Antibody foreign particles
G (IgG)
to help protect
the body.
Enzymes carry
out almost all of
the thousands of
Phenylalaninehy
Enzyme chemical
droxylase
reactions that
take place in
cells.
FUNCTIONS
Function Description Example
Messenger proteins
transmit signals to
Messenger Insulin
coordinate biological
processes.
Structural These proteins provide
componen structure and support Actin
t for cells.
These proteins bind
Transport/
and carry atoms and Hgb
storage
small molecules.
AMINO ACIDS
■ Think of proteins as being like a word.
Amino acids are the letters in that word.
Rearranging the letters makes words
with different meanings.
■ There are 20 amino acids required for
human life to exist.
■ 12 amino acids are made in our bodies,
but the other 8 must be obtained by
eating foods that contain them.
NUCLEIC ACIDS
 Also called as POLYNUCLEOTIDES

 Large molecules used by living

organisms for the storage and
transmission of genetic information.

 Contain information that cells

use to make proteins

 Made of:
 Carbon Oxygen
 Hydrogen Nitrogen
 Phosphorus
NUCLEOTIDES
 Monomers of nuclei acids

 Made up of three
components:
 A nitrogen-containing
base
 A five-carbon sugar
 Phosphate group
CLASSIFICATION OF NUCLEIC ACIDS