Macromolecules Building Blocks of Life Macromolecules Smaller organic molecules join together to...
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Transcript of Macromolecules Building Blocks of Life Macromolecules Smaller organic molecules join together to...
Macromolecules
Building Blocksof Life
Macromolecules• Smaller organic molecules join together to
form larger molecules– macromolecules
• 4 major classes of macromolecules:– carbohydrates– lipids– proteins– nucleic acids
Monomer + Monomer = Polymer
• Carbs, Proteins, Nucleic Acids are made of chain-like repeating units
• Chains of single units (monomers) make polymers
Polymers• Long molecules built by linking repeating
building blocks in a chain – monomers • building blocks• repeated small units
– covalent bonds• Why is Carbon so good at this??
H2O
HO
HO H
H HHO
How to build a polymer• Dehydration Synthesis:• joins monomers by “taking” H2O out
• one monomer donates OH–
• other monomer donates H+ • together these form H2O
– requires energy & enzymes
enzymeDehydration synthesisDehydration synthesis
H2O
HO H
HO H HO H
How to break down a polymer• Hydrolysis:• use H2O to breakdown polymers
• reverse of dehydration synthesis• cleave off one monomer at a time
• H2O is split into H+ and OH–
– H+ & OH– attach to ends
– requires enzymes– releases energy
HydrolysisHydrolysis
enzyme
1. Carbohydrates (C,H)• Are sugars and polymers of sugars– Monosaccharides: one sugar– Disaccharides: two sugars– Poly saccharides: more than two sugars
• Store short term energy
Monosaccharides
• Simple sugars that provide short term energy
• Ex: glucose
Disaccharides• Monosaccharide + Monosaccharide• Formed via dehydration synthesis• Ex: sucose
Disaccharide
Polysaccharides
• Complex starches that store short term energy• Glycogen: hydrolyzed in the liver when sugar supplies
are low
Structural Polysaccharides
• Cellulose: cell walls
• Chitin: exoskeletons
2. Lipids (C, H, O, sometimes P)
• The smallest of the macromolecules• Not a true polymer (different monomers)– Glycerol head– Fatty acid tail
• Storage of long-term energy
Fats
Steroids
Phospholipids
• Cell membranes phosphorus
3. Proteins (C, H, O, N, sometimes S)
• 3 Dimensional polymers– Monomers: amino acids– Polymer of amino acids
is called a polypeptide– Held together by
covalent peptide bond– Protein is one or more
polypeptides
Many Functions
• Speed up reactions
• Structure• Storage• Transport• Communication• Movement• Defense
Amino Acids
• 20 amino acids build thousands of proteins
• Each one has an amino group, carboxyl group, H, and R-group
4 Levels of Protein Structure• Primary: amino acid
chain held by peptide bonds
• Secondary: hydrogen bonds between H & carboxyl α-helix or β-pleated sheet
4 Levels of Protein Structure, cont.
• Tertiary: R-groups interact further folding the protein
• Quaternary: aggregation of polypeptides
Just how important is primary structure?
4. Nucleic Acid (C, H, O, N, P)• Storage of heritable
information– DNA and RNA
• Monomers: nucleotides– Sugar (ribose or
deoxyribose)– Phosphate group– Nitrogen base (A, G,
C, T, U)
DNA: deoxyribonucleic acid
• Genetic material inherited from parents to offspring
• Self-replicating• Does not code
directly for protein (needs RNA assistance)
RNA: ribonucleic acid
• Used by the cell to decode DNA’s instructions for protein
• DNA RNA Protein• Central Dogma of
Genetics