Eugenia Winfred Matukeni
102283
BIOLOGY A ESSAY
Introduction
There are four main classes of macromolecules which are found in cells. These are lipids, carbohydrates, proteins and nucleic acids. They each play an important role in the synthesis and maintenance of cells.
Lipids
Lipids are organic compounds such as fats, natural oils, waxes and steroids. They are amphiphilic thus construct structures like vesicles and cell membranes in damp environments. Main functions of lipids are cell signaling, formation of cell membranes and energy storage. (Fahy 2009) There are three main types of lipids found in cells these include fatty acids, phospholipids and steroids. Fatty acids are carboxylic acids with long hydrocarbon chains, they are stored
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(Murray 2006)
Proteins are important as they function as enzymes, which are specific and increase the rate of chemical reactions. They are involved in the metabolism and are involved in the creation production of DNA.(Bairoch 2000) Many proteins are involved in the process of cell signaling and transportation of molecules for example ferritin which gathers iron for storage in the liver is a protein. Antibodies which help to prevent infection, illness are made from protein. They bind antigens and destroy them. Hormones are such as insulin is crucial for the regulation of glucose in the body and parathormone is important for bone remodeling. These hormones are created by proteins in the body. Proteins are important for the development, maintaining and repair of body tissues and are the building blocks for organs, muscles, skin and hair. They make up the cytoskeleton which gives cells their shape and size.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are biological molecules made up of oxygen, hydrogen and carbon with the general formula (CH2O)n (Solomon 2004). They are classed as monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides. Monosaccharides an aldehyde or ketone with many hydroxyl groups added examples include uronic acids and fructose. Disaccharides are formed from monosaccharides through the elimination of water examples include sucrose and lactose. Polysaccharides consist of thousands of different
Atoms are the basic units of matter and all life is based on them. Life on earth is based on the element carbon. It is a highly versatile atom able to form four covalent bonds with itself or other atoms such as hydrogen and water. Atoms combine to form molecules and those that are carbon based are referred to as organic molecules. Organic molecules occur in four different types in living cells; carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. They are also known as hydrocarbons due to the presence of both hydrogen and carbon. Carbohydrates are made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in the ratio 1:2:1. They are important sources of energy and are classified in three main groups; monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides.
Macromolecules are large numbers of atoms. In this lab there were three major macromolecules which were sugar, starch and fats which were all tested and studied. There was also the subunit of carbohydrate which was sugar what was also tested in the lab. The subunits of of the three major macromolecules were amino acids which makes up the macromolecule of protein there was also glucose which is the subunit of the macromolecule starch the final subunit was the fatty acids which make up the macromolecule of lipids or fats. There were a variety of food solutions that were tested during the lab. Not all food solutions had a macromolecule present for example in the Biurets test for protein only the solutions of albumin, pepsin, and peanut butter had significant protein. Another test during
The most common macromolecules found in living organisms are lipids, carbohydrates, proteins and nucleic acids. Briefly, the meaning of macromolecules is that they normally contain two or more molecules in them and their main functions are to store energy, information and much more. Most foods are known to be combinations of macromolecules. While some of these compounds can be detected by taste tests, many cannot. Scientists then use certain tests to determine the presence of macromolecules.
Carbohydrates have two functions which is, provides short term energy and structure in some organisms. They have an atomic makeup of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen, with a 2:1 ratio of Hydrogen to Oxygen. The monomer is a monosaccharide which contains a single sugar. A couple examples of this would be glucose, fructose, and deoxyribose which is found in DNA. Yet, foods with this monomer in it would be mostly fruits, candy, and soda. Carbohydrates also have a polysaccharide which is a polymer made of many monosaccharides strung together. Some examples of these are starch, glycogen, cellulose, and chitin. A starch is storage from glucose in plants(potatoes, pasta, waffles, and toast). Glycogen is storage from glucose in animals. Cellous is structure in plants (cell wall). Chitin is structure in animals (exoskeleton).
a. Proteins- macromolecules made of amino acids. Proteins have many functions in the body. Some sources of proteins are whole-grain cereals, dark breads,rice, beans, and meat.
Carbohydrates are macromolecules which and contains carbon, hydrogen and oxygen (C,H,O). There are also two types of sugars, sweet soluble and starches which are non-soluble. Sugars can also be single or simple sugars.Carbohydrates can be found in a wide variety of foods such as pasta, wheat and grains, rice, potatoes, fruits and sugars. Carbohydrates are broken down into
Lipids are molecules that contain hydrocarbons and make up the building blocks of the structure and function of living cells. (Dr. Ananya Mandal, MD, 10/09/2012, Para.1) The lipids that are usually in our foods are fats and oils. Lipids are hydrophobic, meaning they have little or no affinity for water. (Neil A. Campbell,
Then, nucleic acids are made up of nucleotides and has the ability to make new cells. Finally, Lipids. Lipids are made up of glycerol and fatty acids. Lipids play a big role in the body, it provides cushion and insulation for the larger organisms in our bodies. All of these macromolecules and monomers are needed to make energy.
Proteins are important for the human body. Proteins play many important roles in the body including the structure of enzymes; these are important proteins that help reactions occur in the body, such as releasing from the food we eat. Proteins also function as transport proteins such as hemoglobin; an iron
Carbohydrates are sugars and starches and are made of monomers called saccharides, which are connected together to make a polymer called polysaccharides. Carbohydrates give energy to living things, and a special type of carbohydrate called cellulose makes a plant’s cell walls. Proteins are made of monomers called amino acids. Proteins make up the muscles and structural tissue in a body, and they make enzymes which control chemical reactions. Proteins form peptide bonds between amino acids, which make up a polypeptide.
A macromolecule is a large molecule composed of small molecular units called monomers that are linked to together in long chains called polymers. Lipids are hydrophobic, non polar macromolecules that insulate organs, store energy, and make up cell membranes. Their monomers are called triglycerides. Proteins are another example of macromolecules. Made up of monomers called amino acids held together by peptide bonds, proteins provide structural support, defense, and cell regulation. The third macromolecule that is going to be tested for are carbohydrates. Carbohydrates, such as sugars and starches, are needed for energy storage and are made up of monomers called monosaccharides.
Proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and carbohydrates are the four basic macromolecules. Each of these macromolecules are made up of smaller components that determine the specific macromolecule and how it functions.
There are four types of biomolecules, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Carbohydrates are large chains of sugar found in food and living tissues. This includes sugars, starch, and cellulose. They have the same ratio of hydrogen and oxygen that water has, 2:1. They are broken down to release energy in the animal body. Lipids are any organic compounds that are fatty acids and don’t dissolve in water but do in organic solvents. Fatty acids can be found in natural oils, waxes, and steroids. Proteins are macromolecules that do everything in the cell. They are tools and machines that make things happen. Nucleic acids are long strands of nucleotides, and function primarily in storage and transmission of genetic information. There are two types of nucleic acids, DNA and RNA. DNA is the genetic material of all cellular organisms, and RNA sends out messages from the information that is held in the DNA.
Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids are organic molecules found in every living organism. These macromolecules are large carbon based structures. The macromolecules are assembled by joining several smaller units, called monomers, together through a chemical reaction called dehydration synthesis. The resulting polymer can be disassembled through the complementary process called hydrolysis.Carbohydrates are made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms in a 1:2:1 ratio. This means that for every carbon atom present in the carbohydrate there are two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom present. The monomers for carbohydrates are referred to as monosaccharides. When many monosaccharides are chained together the resulting molecule is called a polysaccharide. Carbohydrates are used by living organisms as an important source of energy. Examples of carbohydrates include glucose, fructose, sucrose, galactose, ribose, deoxyribose, cellulose and chitin.Lipids are also made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen but the ratio of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen is not 1:2:1. Instead, lipids have a much higher number of carbons and hydrogens with few oxygen atoms present. The nonpolar bonds that form between the carbon and hydrogen atoms of a lipid cause them to be hydrophobic, or water-repellent, molecules. This explains why water and oil do not mix. The large number of carbon to hydrogen bonds also serves to make lipids energy rich storage molecules. One gram of lipid stores
Most organic compounds in living organisms are carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids they are called macromolecules. Each of these macromolecules is made of smaller subunits. These subunits are linked by dehydration synthesis. Dehydration synthesis is an energy requiring process in which a molecule of water is removing and the two subunits are boded