BIOLOGICAL MOLECULES

TYPES OF BIOLOGICAL MOLECULES AND ITS USES

FATEMA HUSAIN 11A

What are Biological Molecules?
BIOLOGICAL MOLECULES ARE MADE UP OF MONOMERS, WHICH
ARE SMALL MOLECULES THAT CAN BE BONDED TOGETHER TO
FORM LARGER MOLECULES CALLED POLYMERS.

BIOLOGICAL MOLECULES ARE MOLECULES THAT ARE ESSENTIAL

TO LIFE AND ARE FOUND IN ALL LIVING ORGANISMS.

THESE MOLECULES ARE INVOLVED IN A WIDE RANGE OF

BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES, SUCH AS ENERGY STORAGE,
STRUCTURAL SUPPORT, AND GENETIC INFORMATION STORAGE
AND TRANSMISSION.
Types of Biogical Molecules

THERE ARE FIVE MAIN TYPES OF BIOLOGICAL

MOLECULES: CARBOHYDRATES, LIPIDS, PROTEINS,
NUCLEIC ACIDS, AND WATER. HERE ARE THE
MONOMERS THAT MAKE UP EACH OF THESE TYPES OF
MOLECULES:
Types of Biogical Molecules
CARBOHYDRATES

CARBOHYDRATES ARE MADE UP OF MONOSACCHARIDES,

WHICH ARE SIMPLE SUGARS. EXAMPLES OF
MONOSACCHARIDES INCLUDE GLUCOSE, FRUCTOSE, AND
GALACTOSE. MONOSACCHARIDES CAN BE BONDED
TOGETHER TO FORM DISACCHARIDES (TWO
MONOSACCHARIDES) AND POLYSACCHARIDES (MANY
MONOSACCHARIDES).
EXAMPLES OF POLYSACCHARIDES INCLUDE STARCH,
CELLULOSE, AND GLYCOGEN.
Types of Biogical Molecules
LIPIDS

LIPIDS ARE MADE UP OF FATTY ACIDS AND GLYCEROL.

FATTY ACIDS ARE LONG CHAINS OF CARBON ATOMS WITH
A CARBOXYL GROUP AT ONE END. GLYCEROL IS A THREE-
CARBON MOLECULE WITH A HYDROXYL GROUP ATTACHED
TO EACH CARBON. FATTY ACIDS CAN BE BONDED TO
GLYCEROL TO FORM TRIGLYCERIDES, WHICH ARE A TYPE
OF FAT. OTHER TYPES OF LIPIDS INCLUDE PHOSPHOLIPIDS
AND STEROIDS.
Types of Biogical Molecules
PROTEINS

PROTEINS ARE MADE UP OF AMINO ACIDS, WHICH ARE

SMALL MOLECULES THAT CONTAIN AN AMINO GROUP, A
CARBOXYL GROUP, AND A SIDE CHAIN. THERE ARE 20
DIFFERENT AMINO ACIDS THAT CAN BE COMBINED IN
DIFFERENT WAYS TO FORM A WIDE VARIETY OF PROTEINS.
AMINO ACIDS CAN BE BONDED TOGETHER THROUGH
PEPTIDE BONDS TO FORM LONG CHAINS CALLED
POLYPEPTIDES, WHICH CAN THEN FOLD INTO COMPLEX
THREE-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURES.
Types of Biogical Molecules
NUCLEIC ACIDS

NUCLEIC ACIDS ARE MADE UP OF NUCLEOTIDES, WHICH ARE

SMALL MOLECULES THAT CONTAIN A SUGAR, A PHOSPHATE
GROUP, AND A NITROGENOUS BASE. THERE ARE FOUR
DIFFERENT NITROGENOUS BASES IN DNA (ADENINE,
GUANINE, CYTOSINE, AND THYMINE) AND RNA (ADENINE,
GUANINE, CYTOSINE, AND URACIL). NUCLEOTIDES CAN BE
BONDED TOGETHER THROUGH PHOSPHODIESTER BONDS TO
FORM LONG CHAINS OF DNA OR RNA.
Types of Biogical Molecules
WATER

WATER IS A BIOLOGICAL MOLECULE THAT IS ESSENTIAL FOR

LIFE. IT IS A POLAR MOLECULE, WHICH MEANS THAT IT HAS
A PARTIAL POSITIVE CHARGE ON ONE END AND A PARTIAL
NEGATIVE CHARGE ON THE OTHER END. THIS PROPERTY
ALLOWS WATER MOLECULES TO FORM HYDROGEN BONDS
WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH OTHER POLAR MOLECULES,
WHICH IS IMPORTANT FOR MANY BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES.
Usage of Biogical Molecules

BIOLOGICAL MOLECULES AND MONOMERS HAVE MANY

IMPORTANT USES IN LIVING ORGANISMS. HERE ARE A
FEW EXAMPLES:
Usage of Biogical Molecules
CARBOHYDRATES

CARBOHYDRATES ARE A MAJOR SOURCE OF ENERGY FOR

THE BODY. THEY ARE BROKEN DOWN INTO GLUCOSE, WHICH
CAN BE USED BY CELLS TO PRODUCE ATP, THE MOLECULE
THAT PROVIDES ENERGY FOR CELLULAR PROCESSES.
CARBOHYDRATES ALSO PLAY A STRUCTURAL ROLE IN
PLANTS, WHERE THEY FORM THE CELL WALLS OF PLANT
CELLS.
Usage of Biogical Molecules
LIPIDS

LIPIDS ARE AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF CELL

MEMBRANES, WHERE THEY HELP TO MAINTAIN THE
INTEGRITY OF THE MEMBRANE AND REGULATE THE
MOVEMENT OF MOLECULES IN AND OUT OF THE CELL.
LIPIDS ALSO SERVE AS A LONG-TERM ENERGY STORAGE
MOLECULE IN THE BODY, AND ARE USED TO INSULATE AND
PROTECT ORGANS.
Usage of Biogical Molecules
PROTEINS

PROTEINS PERFORM A WIDE VARIETY OF FUNCTIONS IN

THE BODY, INCLUDING CATALYZING CHEMICAL REACTIONS,
TRANSPORTING MOLECULES IN THE BLOOD, AND
PROVIDING STRUCTURAL SUPPORT TO CELLS AND TISSUES.
ENZYMES, WHICH ARE A TYPE OF PROTEIN, ARE
PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT IN THE BODY BECAUSE THEY
SPEED UP CHEMICAL REACTIONS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE
BE TOO SLOW TO SUSTAIN LIFE.
 Usage of Biogical Molecules
NUCLEIC ACIDS

NUCLEIC ACIDS STORE AND TRANSMIT GENETIC INFORMATION IN THE

BODY. DNA CONTAINS THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING PROTEINS,
WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL FOR LIFE. RNA PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN PROTEIN
SYNTHESIS BY CARRYING THE GENETIC INFORMATION FROM DNA TO
THE RIBOSOME, WHERE PROTEINS ARE MADE.
 Usage of Biogical Molecules
WATER
WATER IS A UNIVERSAL SOLVENT, MEANING THAT IT CAN DISSOLVE MANY
DIFFERENT SUBSTANCES, INCLUDING OTHER POLAR MOLECULES LIKE SUGARS
AND SALTS. THIS PROPERTY MAKES IT AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF MANY
BIOLOGICAL FLUIDS, SUCH AS BLOOD AND CYTOPLASM.

WATER ALSO HELPS TO REGULATE BODY TEMPERATURE, AS IT HAS A HIGH

SPECIFIC HEAT CAPACITY, WHICH MEANS THAT IT CAN ABSORB A LOT OF
HEAT WITHOUT CHANGING TEMPERATURE. THIS PROPERTY ALLOWS WATER TO
ACT AS A BUFFER AGAINST SUDDEN TEMPERATURE CHANGES, WHICH IS
IMPORTANT FOR MAINTAINING HOMEOSTASIS IN THE BODY.

OVERALL, WATER IS A CRUCIAL BIOLOGICAL MOLECULE THAT PLAYS MANY

IMPORTANT ROLES IN LIVING ORGANISMS.
THANK YOU!
FATEMA HUSAIN 11A