Bio Molecules

BIOMOLECULES
SCIENCE 10/Q4/M2
Competency: Recognize the major categories of
biomolecules such as carbohydrates, lipids,
proteins, and nucleic acids.
Humans, plants and animals are
made up of many chemical substances.
There are certain complex organic
molecules which form the basis of life.
BIOMOLECULES
• complex organic molecules which form the basis of

life.
• Substances that are part of the chemical composition of
all living organisms.
• also required for organisms’ growth, maintenance and
even for survival in extreme environment conditions.
Main classes of Biomolecules
• Carbohydrates
• Proteins
• Lipids
• Nucleic acids.
- These are macromolecules - large molecules composed of thousands of
covalently connected atoms.
Six (6) most common elements found in
biomelecules
• CHNOPS or CHONSP elements
- Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen,

phosphorus, and sulfur
Carbohydrates
 comprised of the elements carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O).
 Commonly known as sugars.
 range in size from very small to very large.
 often built into long chains by stringing together smaller units.
monomer single unit or bead
polymer a long string of monomer.
 Examples of carbohydrates include the sugars found in milk
(lactose) and table sugar (sucrose).
 chemically defined as polyhydroxy aldehydes or ketones or
compounds which produce them on hydrolysis
 In layman’s terms, we acknowledge carbohydrates as sugars or
substances that taste sweet. They are collectively called as
saccharides (Greek: sakcharon = sugar).
Carbohydrates
 Depending on the number of sugar units, carbohydrates can be as
monosaccharides (1 sugar unit), oligosaccharides (2-10 sugar
units) and or polysaccharides (more than 10 sugar units).
 functions in cells:
-They are an excellent source of energy for the many different activities
going on in our cells.
-structural function. For example, the material that makes plants stand
tall and gives wood its tough properties, is a polymer form of glucose
known as cellulose.
-stored forms of energy known as starch and glycogen. Starch is found
in plant products such as potatoes, and glycogen is found in animals.
Proteins
 make up around 50 percent of the cellular dry weight.
 are comprised of the elements carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen and sometimes
sulfur.
 are polymers of amino acids, arranged in the form of chain called polypeptide.
 Depending on how the structure of a protein is arranged, it gives rise to a certain level
of structural organization. The level can be classified as primary, secondary, tertiary
and quaternary.
 play both structural and dynamic roles. They help form many of the structural features
of the body including hair, nails and muscles.
 Myosin is the protein that allows movement by contraction of muscles
 are also present as a major component of cell membranes. It act as carriers or
channels, facilitating the movement of ions and molecules in and out of the cells.
 also acts as catalyst. 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. The
hydrophobic nature of the lipids dictates many of their uses in
biological systems.
 are composed primarily of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen,
phosphorus and sulfur (lipids also contain nitrogen in some
cases).
examples:
1.Fats are a good source of stored energy
2.oils and waxes are used to form protective layers on our skin, preventing
infection.
3. 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
 naturally occurring chemical compound that is capable of being broken down to yield
phosphoric acid, sugars, and a mixture of organic bases (purines and pyrimidines).
 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.
 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 and constitutes the genetic material in all
free-living
organisms and most viruses. It contains the information on
what proteins will
be created.
RNA is the one responsible to create the proteins based on the information given
by the
DNA.
-is the genetic material of certain viruses, but it is also found in all
living cells.
 are polynucleotides—that is, long chainlike molecules composed of a series of nearly
identical building blocks called nucleotides. Each nucleotide consists of a nitrogen-
containing aromatic base attached to a pentose (five-carbon) sugar, which is in turn attached
to a phosphate group. Each nucleic acid contains four of five possible nitrogen-containing
Basic building unit of biomolecules
monomer polymers
• A single unit forming a long • long molecule consisting of
chain of molecules creating a many similar building blocks,
repeated pattern. or a repeated pattern of
• Comes from a Greek words various building blocks.
monos, meaning “single” and • “poly” comes from Greek
“meros” meaning part. word polus, meaning
“many”.

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BIOMOLECULES

• complex organic molecules which form the basis of

- Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen,

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