Biological

Macromolecules
They’re Organic!!!
What’s an organic molecule??
 Compounds made up of hydrocarbons
 Carbon and Hydrogen atoms!!
 Living/once living (YOU are Organic!)
 (Not CO2. It’s a gas!!!!!)
 There are four classes of biological
macromolecules we will be looking at:
First – Let’s Proteins
Concentrate on Lipids
these three!
Carbohydrates

Nucleic acids (This will be last)

A very, very large
molecule!!
Biological
Macromolecule
All biological macro-molecule are organic,
meaning they all contain hydrocarbons…
Carbon atoms (with attached Hydrogens!)
Other elements may include Oxygen,
Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Sulfur
Macromolecules 
We’re looking at
“Mono” means one
SO… a polymer is
made up of many
monomers!!
Polymer Analogies
EXAMPLE of MONOMER
POLYMER

Ladder ?

String of Pearls Necklace ?

 Answers

EXAMPLE of MONOMER
POLYMER
Ladder Each Rung

Necklace Each Pearl

Can you think of a polymer??

What monomers make it up??

ALL four can be found in food!!

Think about it!!

Look at the label to the left. 3
of the 4 macromolecules are
labeled!!

(0 grams in this product)

1____________________
(13 grams in this product)

2____________________
(9 grams in this product)

3____________________
On to Our First Biomolecule!!

Carbohydrates!!
Carbohydrates
C, H, O
 SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES
They are the main source of energy for the body !
Simple sugars Monosaccharide
Glucose, for example (Yes it IS a monomer!!), is the main
product of photosynthesis!!

C6H12O6 Atoms: C, H, O
COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES
Long-term storage for energy
Polysaccharides  made up of glucose polymers
Below is a part of the polymer starch!!
 Starch Continued

Found in: Grains (wheat, rice, corn, oats, barley) Tubers such
as potatoes are rich in starch.
Cellulose
** ALSO a glucose
polymer
**Offers the plant support

** Energy storage

** Makes up cell wall

** Food source for

seeds and plant bulbs
Glycogen in Animals

**A branched polymer

made up of numerous
glucose monomers

**Long-term energy
storage found in the
liver

** Quickly broken
down into glucose for
immediate energy
 Complex Carbs and Energy

 Starches, Cellulose and Glycogen are broken down by

proteins called enzymes (remember digestion in
lysosomes!!??.....similar concept!)
 Broken down into their monomers  Glucose
 Glucose is further broken down during cellular respiration
in the mitochondria for energy
 About 36 ATP molecules of energy per each glucose
molecule!!!
 Lipids
Mostly C,H and some O
STORED ENERGY  Broken down for energy
They INSULATE the body to help maintain normal body
temperature and they
CUSHION the internal organs for protection.
Include waxes, Oils
include steroids such as cholesterol and the sex hormones
estrogen and testosterone
Anabolic steroids build muscle
They waterproof surfaces of animals, plants, and fruits-
these are waxes!
THINK: Waterproof, insulate, steroids, energy, cushion…
 Remember the cell membrane?
PhosphoLIPID bilayer of the cell membrane? The fatty
acid tails are lipids!
It’s semi-permeable, allowing only certain molecules to
diffuse across the membrane to enter or exit the cell.
LIPIDS
Fat Made up of fatty acid monomers – Glycerides
that have a Glycerol Backbone (Circled) and a Fatty
Acid Tail(s)

Mostly C, H with some O

 Triglycerides
Glycerol Group with 3 Fatty Acid Chains

This is a triglyceride molecule

 NOW ONTO PROTEINS

They are the major structural molecules in living things for

growth and repair : muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones, hair, skin,
nails…IN FACT ALL CELL MEMBRANES have protein in them
They make up antibodies in the immune system
They make up enzymes for helping chemical reactions
They makeup non-steriod hormones which
THINK: Proteins= membranes, enzymes, antibodies, non-steriod
hormones, structural molecules, “MEANS”
 Proteins
Made up of Mostly C, H, O and N
(Some Sulfur)
Proteins
Proteins
Aside from the protein found in
animal sources…protein can also be
found in fruits, vegetables, grains,
and nuts. (it just does not have as many amino acids)
Hair, Skin, and Nails
Microscope View of
Skin and Nails

This is skin This is a nail

Made up of Amino Acid Monomers!!!
**Remember protein synthesis???? Transcription and
translation?

**A peptide bond bonds amino acids together

**Creates a polypeptide
The shapes of Proteins
Determines it’s Function

Amino
Acids !!!
Ribosomes are Proteins that are
Involved in Creating Proteins!!
 Insulin
 Chemical signaler protein produced in the pancreas
 Causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose
from blood and convert it to glycogen that can be stored in the liver
and muscles
 Diabetes is a condition when a person has high blood glucose (blood sugar),
either because insulin production is inadequate, or because the body's cells
do not respond properly to insulin, or both.
 Hemoglobin
 A protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen
**Antibodies are part of the immune system.
**When something enters the body that isn’t supposed to be
there, like certain bacteria, antibodies find the invader and stick
themselves onto it.
**White Blood cells destroy the invaders (hopefully)
 Enzymes
 Speed up the rate of a chemical reaction (a catalyst) by
lowering the energy needed to begin the reaction (Below)
 Re-usable
 Molecule specific – like a lock and key
 -Example: ONLY Lactase will break down lactose. It
will NEVER break down proteins
Enzymes Lock and Key Model

Products
Substrate
 Enzymes
 Folded specific to its function…like a lock and key model!

Pepsin
Lactase breaks Amylase
breaks down down breaks down
lactose sugar proteins amylose
 Which substrate can be reduced by the enzyme??
Specific Enzyme

Starch
Activ
e Site Protein

Simple useable Lipid

sugars (product)

***** Remember That Enzymes are

substrate-specific !!!!!
Enzymes are affected by:
pH Affects Enzyme Reactivity
This enzyme functions in an environment that
has a pH of about 4, which is acidic
te of Reaction

123456789
pH
The 4th type is
NUCLEIC ACIDS
The types of Nucleic Acids
DNA (DeoxyriboNucleic Acid)
RNA (RiboNucleic Acid)
**Monomers are called Nucleotides
“DNA” is short for Deoxyribonucleic
Acid
**Your genetic makeup!!
“DNA” is short for
Ribonucleic Acid
**Works with DNA to create
proteins
 RNA DNA
 Single-Stranded  Double-
 Nitrogen bases Stranded
Adenine (A), double helix
Cytosine (C),  Nitrogen bases
Guanine (G), Adenine (A),
Uracil (U) Cytosine (C),
 Remember NO Guanine (G),
Thymine (T) Thymine (T)
 Ribose sugar  Remember
NO Uracil (U)
 Deoxy-ribose
sugar
Remember How DNA and RNA Molecules are Involved in Protein
Synthesis?? Transcription and Translation?

*DNA

*mRNA

*At ribosome

*tRNA Brings in
Amino Acids

*Amino Acids form the

protein (a polypeptide)