organic compounds “macromolecules”. macromolecules in living organisms there are 4 main classes...
TRANSCRIPT
Macromolecules in Living Organisms
• There are 4 main classes of macromolecules:
Carbohydrates
Lipids
Proteins
Nucleic acids
Carbohydrates• Main function is
energy storage
• Play a role in:– Cell to cell
communication– Immune
system– Fertilization– Blood clotting
Carbohydrates
• Composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen• Monosaccharide: single sugar (1C:2H:1O)
– Examples: glucose (energy for cells), fructose (found in fruit), galactose (found in milk)
• Disaccharide: two monosaccharides joined by condensation reaction – Example: sucrose, lactose (milk), maltose (beer)
• Polysaccharide: three or more monosaccharides joined by condensation reaction– Examples: glycogen (animals store excess sugar);
starch (plants store excess sugar)
• Store and release energy• Stores energy more efficiently than
carbohydrates • Essential fatty acids important in
regulating blood pressure
Lipids
• Contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen• Do NOT dissolve in water (hydrophobic)• Fatty Acids: un-branched carbon chains with
carboxyl group (COOH) at one end• Complex Lipids:
– Triglyceride– Phospholipids– Waxes
• Steroids: four carbon rings with various functional groups attached– Testosterone, cholesterol
Phospholipids
• Found in cell membranes• Used to transport materials into or out of a cell• Hydrophilic head & hydrophobic tail
Triglycerides• Fats & oils• Saturated (animals): solid at room temperature
– Carbon Single Bonds
• Unsaturated (plants): liquids at room temperature– Carbon Double Bonds
Waxes• Highly waterproof• In plants forms cuticle
– (protective outer covering)
• In animals earwax – (keeps micro-organisms from entering inner ear)
Proteins
• Structure– Cell membranes– Skin– Tendons– Nails– Hair– Muscle
• Storage• Transport • Hormones• Defense• ENZYMES!!!!!
Proteins
• Composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen
• Formed by linking many amino acids together – (held together by a peptide bond)– Each amino acid contains a central carbon
atom, an amino group (NH2), a carboxyl group (COOH), a hydrogen atom, and an “R” group
Proteins• Make up 50% of the dry weight of living organisms• Building blocks• Amino acids, dipeptide, polypeptide
R
|
H2N – C – COOH
|
HThe R group is different in each amino acid, & its properties determine the final structure & function of the protein
Nucleic Acids
• Molecules of inheritance
• Assembled from monomers called nucleotides
• A nucleotide contains: phosphate group, nitrogen base, a five carbon sugar
• DNA & RNA
Nucleic Acids
• DNA– Deoxyribonuleic acid
• Sugar is deoxyribose• N base: A, C, G, T
– Double stranded– Contains information about
cell activities and cell division
– Stays in the nucleus
• RNA– Ribonucleic acid
• Sugar is ribose• N base: A, C, G, U
– Single stranded– Stores and transfers
information on making proteins
– Reads the information carried by DNA
– Leaves the nucleus– 3 types: mRNA, tRNA,
rRNA