“WE ARE THE

UNIVERSE’S WAY
OF
EXPERIENCING
ITSELF ”
 BIOLOGICAL
MACROMOLECULES
MACROMOLECULES
This refers to very large molecules
and something that consists of two or more
molecules. Macromolecules are so huge
that these are commonly made up of more
than 10,000 or more atoms.
BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
These are organic compounds
that makes up a living organism and
are responsible for varieties of
essential functions in the cell
structure and processes for their
survival.
 FOUR major types of
Biological Macromolecules.
1. CARBOHYDRATES
Carbohydrates comprises the bulk of a typical meal
because it is an energy source. It is said to be the most
abundant macromolecule on earth made up of three
most common elements in nature – C, H and O.
 3 CLASSIFICATIONS OF CARBOHYDRATES

DISACCHARIDES - made up of two rings of carbon atoms.

MONOSACCHARIDES - made up of three to seven carbon
atoms.
POLYSACCHARIDES - contains more than ten (10) monosa-
ccharide units and can be hundred of
sugar units.
 2 TYPES OF POLYSACCHARIDES

STARCH POLYSACCHARIDES - These are the main energy reserve in root

vegetables such as onions, carrots, potatoes, and whole grains.
NON-STARCH POLYSACCHARIDES - These are the dietary fiber group
found in vegetables, fruits, as well as whole grains in the form of
cellulose, hemicelluloses, pectin and gums.
3 FUNCTIONS OF CARBOHYDRATES

ENERGY SUPPLY
When broken down into glucose, they provide
energy directly to cells in the body such as the muscles,
brain, heart, kidneys enabling the body to perform its
functions.
3 FUNCTIONS OF CARBOHYDRATES

ENERGY STORAGE
Excess glucose is stored. In times when the body uses
up the glucose supply after excessive physical activity or
prolonged hunger this stored energy in the form of fat is
converted back to glucose.
3 FUNCTIONS OF CARBOHYDRATES

BUILDING MACROMOLECULES
Some glucose is converted to ribose and deoxyribose,
which are forms of sugar used as the building blocks of RNA,
DNA, and ATP.
2. PROTEIN
Protein is said to be the growth nutrient.
These can serve as a structural component in
animal tissues. Regardless of their function,
all proteins are made up of amino acids,
classified as either essential or non-essential.
Essential amino acids cannot be produced by the body
and therefore must come from the diet. Nine of the 20
amino acids are essential.

Non-essential amino acids can be produced by the body

and, therefore, do not need to come from the diet.
6 FUNCTIONS OF PROTEIN

ANTIBODIES
These are proteins found in the blood made by white
blood cells called B cells. They help recognize and destroy
foreign pathogens in the immune system, thus, fight
infections.
6 FUNCTIONS OF PROTEIN

ENZYMES
These proteins speed up chemical reactions such as blood
clotting to DNA synthesis to digestion such that reactions that would
take years could happen only in seconds. There are approximately
1300 different enzymes found in the human cell.
6 FUNCTIONS OF PROTEIN

HORMONES
These are proteins used by the cell in receiving and sending
chemical signals, thereby coordinating bodily functions.
Hormones include insulin, estrogen, testosterone,
adrenaline, cortisol etc.
6 FUNCTIONS OF PROTEIN

CONTRACTILE FUNCTION
These are involved in muscle contraction enabling
movement such as walking, writing, chewing. Examples are
actin and myosin.
6 FUNCTIONS OF PROTEIN

SUPPORT STRUCTURE
For instance, the proteins in our bones provide framework to
the human body. Protein fingernails and hair such as
collagen and elastin provide support to humans.
6 FUNCTIONS OF PROTEIN

DNA SYNTHESIS and REPAIR

These are proteins associated with regulating chromosome
structure during cell division and in regulating gene
expression. Examples are histones and cohesin.
3. LIPIDS
Lipids, usually called fats, are a family of
organic compounds mostly insoluble in water.
Lipids include fats, oils, waxes, phospholipids,
and steroids. They are also said to yield high
energy. Fatty acids are the building blocks of
the lipids(fats).
3 TYPES OF LIPIDS
TRIACYLGLYCEROLS - These make up more than 95 percent of lipids in
the diet of fried foods, butter, whole milk, cheese and some meats.
PHOSPHOLIPIDS -These are lipids whose fatty acid component has
been replaced by a phosphate group.
STEROLS -The most common sterol in animal membrane is
cholesterol.
3 FUNCTIONS OF LIPIDS

ENERGY STOREHOUSES
When one eats a lot of carbohydrates, the excess glucose is
stored as glycogen by the liver, then this is converted back
to glucose by the liver as the need arises.
3 FUNCTIONS OF LIPIDS

SIGNALING MOLECULES
The lipids in the cell membrane receive signal from outside
the cell. A chemical signal which is the “primary messenger”
can not get into the cell and so binds to receptor on the
membrane activating enzymes.
3 FUNCTIONS OF LIPIDS

STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS OF CELL MEMBRANES

Phospholipids are the major component of cell membrane
structure.
4. NUCLEIC ACID
This is a macromolecule made out of basic
units called nucleotides. The nucleic acids are
found in all living organisms from the tiny bacteria
to the multicellular organisms. These are the DNA
and RNA.
Deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA). This is a molecule composed of
the sugar deoxyribose, a phosphate and nitrogen-
containing bases. It is found in the nucleus of the cell.

Ribose nucleic acid (RNA). This is a molecule whose sugar is

ribose. It is found in the nucleolus of a cell.
2 FUNCTIONS OF NUCELIC ACID

Storage and expression of genetic information

DNA encodes the information the cell needs. The sequence of the molecule
encoded can give a message, “make this protein, replicate me”. The cell then
supplies the nucleotides needed for the manufacture of that specific protein.
The resulting protein would help in the expression of a certain characteristic
such as color of hair or height.
FUNCTIONS OF NUCELIC ACID

PROTEIN SYNTHESIS
RNA participate in the actual making of protein known as protein
synthesis. It converts stored information in DNA to make proteins. It
is also used by viruses as genetic material.
 “WE ARE THE
UNIVERSE’S WAY
OF
EXPERIENCING
ITSELF ”