BIOMOLECULES naturally in other plant foods such as honey, sugar beets,

Biomolecules are an organic molecule that includes
carbohydrates, protein, lipids, and nucleic acids. These
include chemicals and elements that are composed of
mainly carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur and
phosphorus. These elements come together to form
biomolecules, the molecules found in all of the living
organisms on earth. They are important for the survival of
living cells.
What are the 4 biomolecules?
sugar cane and vegetables.
❖ GALACTOSE - is known as the brain sugar. Galactose is
found in dairy products, avocados, sugar beets, other gums
and mucilage.
❖ MANNOSE – is a simple hexose sugar that occurs
naturally in some plants, including cranberries. Mannose
occurs in microbes, plants and animals. Vegetables,
including green beans, cabbage, and broccoli, are also a
common source.

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• Carbohydrates Sugars that make up Carbs

• Lipids
• Proteins
• Nucleic Acids
WE TYPICALLY GET BIOMOLECULES FROM FOOD…
THIS IS WHY WE MUST EAT IN THE FIRST PLACE! THE
BIOMOLECULES SERVE TO KEEP ORGANISMS ALIVE.
#1: CARBOHYDRATES ARE SUGARS!
We get 4 calories per gram of carb that we eat!
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2 monosaccharides: disaccharide
Disaccharide - Sugar containing two monosaccharides
linked together which are broken down in the body into two
single sugars. The most common disaccharides are:
❖ Sucrose (or table sugar) = glucose + fructose
❖ Lactose = glucose +galactose
❖ Maltose = glucose + glucose
❖ Trehalose = glucose + glucose, but the two units of
glucose are linked differently than maltose.

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What are CARBOHYDRATES? DISACCHARIDE

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Most common organic molecule The most common disaccharides are:
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Function: Primary energy source our body needs. SUCROSE - (table sugar) added to processed foods such

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Elements present: C, H, O (1:2:1 ratio) as hotdogs, sweetened fruit juices, fruit drinks, sodas,
Monomer (building block): Monosaccharides (Glucose is canned fruits, ketchup, maple syrup, molasses and spaghetti

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most common) sauces that is produces naturally in all plants, including
Polymer: Polysaccharides (starch, Glycogen, Cellulose, fruits, vegetables and even nuts.
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Chitin) LACTOSE – found mainly in milk and dairy products such
Examples: Chocolate, Bread, Pasta, Fruits, Vegetables. as cow's milk, goat's milk, yogurt, cheese, kefir and ice
(ALL FROM PLANTS!!!) cream.
❖ MALTOSE – found naturally in a range of different foods

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Sugars that make up Carbs (like cooked sweet potato, pears, pancakes, bread, fried
Single sugar: monosaccharide onion rings, bagels, pizza, hamburgers, cereals) and also in

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Ex: glucose , fructose (in fruits) a variety of manufactured food stuffs like beer and
2 monosaccharides: disaccharide high-maltose corn syrup. Maltose is found in molasses that

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Ex: maltose, sucrose is used in fermentation.
3+ monosaccharides: polysaccharide ❖ TREHALOSE – a non-reducing sugar commonly found in
Ex: Starch, Glycogen, Cellulose, and Chitin bacteria, fungi, mushroom, yeast, honey, insects, beans,
seaweeds, shellfish and plants. Trehaose is also known as

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Sugars that make up Carbs mycose or tremalose.

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Single sugar: monosaccharide

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Monosaccharide - A single molecular unit which is Sugars that make up Carbs

absorbed directly into the blood stream. The most common
monosaccharides are glucose (also known as dextrose),
fructose, galactose and mannose.
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3+ monosaccharides: polysaccharide
Polysaccharide - a carbohydrate formed by long chains
of repeating units linked together by glyosidic bonds. Starch,
glycogen, cellulose and chitin are examples of

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MONOSACCHARIDE polysaccharides.
The most common monosaccharides are glucose,

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fructose, galactose and mannose. Types of polysaccharides
❖ GLUCOSE - commonly known as corn sugar or blood Starch:
sugar, (also known as dextrose). Dried fruits such as dates, ❖ Used for energy storage in plants
apricots, raisins, currants, cranberries, prunes and figs. ❖ Potatoes, pasta and rice are starches
❖ FRUCTOSE - also known as fruit sugar because it ❖ They provide a quick form of energy for the
primarily occurs naturally in many fruits. It also occurs body
⚫Glycogen: When taken for a long time, steroids also can cause:
❖Used for energy storage in animals •Stunted growth in teens (by making bones mature too fast
❖I am formed in the Liver and stop growing at an early age)
•Liver tumors

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More Polysaccharides •Abnormal enlargement of the heart muscles
Cellulose: •Violent, aggressive behavior and mood swings
❖ Provides structural support in plants •Blood lipid problems that contribute to heart disease
(found in the cell wall) •Acne (or a worsening of acne)
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GIVES US FIBER!!! •Increased breast growth in males, especially teens
Chitin: •Irreversible stretch marks
❖ Found in exoskeletons of arthropods (insects, spiders) •A higher risk for hair loss and male-pattern baldness
❖ Found in cell wall of some fungi •Muscle aches

WAXES
• Waxes are esters made of long-chain alcohol and a fatty
acid. They provide rigidity in the cell membrane and
protection, especially to plants in which wax covers the
leaves of plants. In humans, cerumen, also known as
earwax, helps protect the skin of the ear canal.

Lipids
Lipids are Hydrophobic (water fearing) and do not dissolve in
water!

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#2: LIPIDS ARE FATS Lipids can be:
We get 9 calories per gram Of fat that we consume. Saturated: The bonds between all the carbons are single
bonds.
#2: LIPIDS ARE FATS ❖ Solid at room temperature
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Lipids serve as insulator, myelin sheath (wraps around the Mainly animal fats (bacon grease, lard)
fibers that are the long threadlike part of a nerve cell). Lipids Unsaturated: There is at least one double or triple bond
help with moving and storing energy, absorbing vitamins and between carbons present.
making or acts as hormones chemical messengers for many ❖ Liquid at room temperature
different processes. ❖ Mainly plant based fats (olive oil, peanut oil) as well as
oily fish (Tuna, Sardines)

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LIPIDS
Function: Store energy, Insulates your body, and make #3: PROTEINS BUILD US

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up the cell membrane! We get 4 calories per gram Of protein that we consume

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Elements: C-H-O

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Monomer (Building blocks): glycerol & 3 fatty acids #3: PROTEINS BUILD US

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Polymer: Phospholipids, triglycerides Proteins are made up of chemical 'building blocks' called
Example: Steroids, cholesterol, fats, Oils, Nuts, Waxes, amino acids. Your body uses amino acids to build and repair
and make up part of the cell membrane! muscles and bones and to make hormones and enzymes..

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Proteins
Function of proteins
• Transport molecules in and out of the cell
• Control the speed of chemical reactions
• Used for growth and repair

❖Proteins make up the structure of living things… Hair,

nails, skin, bones, muscle, etc are all built by protein!
❖It drives metabolic reactions, maintains pH and fluid
balance, and keeps the immune system strong. It also
transports and stores nutrients and can act as an energy
source.

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Proteins

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Elements: C-H-O-N Carbohydrates lipids protein Nucleic acid
Monomer (Building Block):

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Elements C-H-O C-H-O C-H-O-N C-H-O-N-P
amino acids (20 different ones!)

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Polymer: proteins (tons) Calories/g 4 c/g 9 c/g 4 c/g unknown
Examples of proteins: hemoglobin in red blood cells,
albumin in eggs, enzymes that control reactions in the body, monomers Monosacch Gycerol and fatty
acids
Amino Nucleotide
arides Acids

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and antibodies
Found in: fish, eggs, meat
Glucose
❖ Corn sugar or blood sugar
❖ example of dextrose

Galactose - Also called Brain sugar

Neuron - Sending message to our body

Axon - carries electrical impulses which is means of communications within

the brain and between the brain and entire body

Alopecia - other term for hair losing

Ester - the general formula is RCOOR

2 characteristics of ester
❖ Smell / odor
❖ Flavor

2 kinds of lipids
❖ Saturated (Unhealthy)
- Animal some fishes
- Solid
- Single bond
❖ Unsaturated (Healthy)
- Plant Like olive oil, sunflower
- Liquid
- 2 or more bond

3 Hormones
❖ Testosterone
In the human body, there are 20 amino acids that function as ❖ Progesterone
building blocks of proteins. ❖ Estrogen

Enzymes - Speed up metabolic process or metabolism

• The essential amino acids are histidine, isoleucine, Amylase - Break down Carbohydrates
leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, Lipase - Break down in lipids
tryptophan, and valine. Lactose - break dowm in lactose
Protease or peptidace - break down in protein
• The nonessential amino acids are alanine, asparagine, Sucrase - Breakdown in table sugar or sucros
aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and serine.
• Conditional amino acids include arginine, cysteine, pH - Potential of Hydrogen
A - adenine
glutamine, glycine, proline, and tyrosine. T - Thymine
G - Guanine
#4: NUCLEIC ACIDS C - cytosine
U - Uracil
These biomolecules are not necessarily from food.
ATP- Storing energy
RNA- single