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Bio Molecules

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Lorena Aureo
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6 views20 pages

Bio Molecules

Uploaded by

Lorena Aureo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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MAJOR CATEGORIES

OF BIOMOLECULES
Biomolecules have a wide range of sizes and structures
and perform a vast array of functions; thus, they are
composed of different kinds of elements. These are called
CHNOPS elements; the letters stand for the chemical
abbreviations of Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen,
Phosphorus, and Sulfur.
There are four major classes of
Biomolecules – Carbohydrates,
Proteins, Nucleic acids and Lipids.
The table below shows the elements that are present
in the major classes of biomolecules.
Carbohydrates
◦ These molecules are comprised of the elements carbon (C),
hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O). Commonly, these
molecules are known as sugars.
◦ The general term for a single unit or bead is a monomer.
◦ The term for a long string of monomers is a polymer.
Examples of Carbohydrates
◦ sugars found in milk (lactose) and table sugar (sucrose)
◦ Carbohydrates are collectively called as saccharides
(Greek: sakcharon = sugar).
◦ monosaccharides (1 sugar unit)
◦ oligosaccharides (2-10 sugar units)
◦ polysaccharides (more than 10 sugar units).
◦ Carbohydrates have several functions in cells. They are an
excellent source of energy for the many different activities
going on in our cells. Some carbohydrates may have a
structural function.
Proteins
◦ Proteins are comprised of the elements carbon, nitrogen,
oxygen, hydrogen and sometimes sulfur. Proteins are
polymers of amino acids, arranged in the form of chain
called polypeptide.
◦ The level can be classified as primary, secondary,
tertiary and quaternary.
◦ Myosin is the protein that allows movement by contraction of
muscles

◦ A large group of proteins, known as enzymes, enable the cells to


carry out chemical reactions fast. In order for the organism to
maintain growth and survival, the food being consumed must be
converted to energy at an appreciable rate
Lipids
◦ The term lipid refers to a wide variety of biomolecules
including fats, oils, waxes and steroid hormones.
◦ They do not dissolve in water; they are hydrophobic.
◦ Lipids are composed primarily of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen,
phosphorus and sulfur (lipids also contain nitrogen in some cases).
◦ Fats are a good source of stored energy while oils and waxes are used
to form protective layers on our skin, preventing infection.
◦ Some lipids, the steroid hormones, are important regulators of cell
activity. The activities of steroid hormones such as estrogen have been
implicated in cancers of the female reproductive system.
Nucleic Acids
◦ Nucleic acids are the main information-carrying molecules
of the cell, and, by directing the process of protein
synthesis, they determine the inherited characteristics of
every living thing.
◦ These molecules are comprised of elements carbon,
hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and nitrogen. The two main
classes of nucleic acids are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
and ribonucleic acid (RNA).
◦ DNA is the master blueprint for life.
◦ RNA is the one responsible to create the proteins based on the
information given by the DNA.

◦ Nucleic acids are polynucleotides— that is, long chainlike


molecules composed of a series of nearly identical building blocks
called nucleotides.
◦ Biomolecules have a single basic building unit called a monomer.
It comes from the Greek words monos, meaning "single" and
meros meaning "part”.
◦ A monomer is a single unit forming a long chain of molecules
creating a repeated pattern.
◦ Monomers are joined together to form polymers.
◦ The prefix “-poly” comes from the Greek word polus, meaning
“many”, so polymer means "many parts." This is a long molecule
consisting of many similar building blocks, or a repeated pattern of
various building blocks.
THANK YOU
AND
GOD BLESS EVERYONE!

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