Biomolecules


 
 
Concept Explanation
 

Biomolecules

 Bio- Molecules:

1. Lipids:

  • They are a broad group of molecules that include fats, fatty acids, sterol, waxes, glycerines and phospholipids.
  • Fats are a subgroup of lipids called triglycerides. Though these are compounds of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, the amount of oxygen present is much less than that in carbohydrate molecules. A molecule of fat consists of fatty acids and glycerol. Fats contain twice as much energy as carbohydrates contain, and so are best suited for storing energy. This explains why the body converts excess carbohydrates into fats,
  • Cholesterol is an example of the type of lipids called sterol.
  • The main functions of lipids include energy storage, cell signalling and cell structuring.
  • 2. Carbohydrates

  • They are organic compounds that contain only carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
  • They are of three types: Monosaccharides, Disaccharides and Polysaccharides.
  • 3. Amino acids

  • They are molecules that contain an amine group and a carboxyl group.
  • They are the building blocks of proteins.
  • Applications include metabolism, drug therapy, flavour enhancement, and manufacture of biodegradable plastics.
  • 4. Proteins

  • They are compounds made from amino acids.
  • The first protein to be sequenced was insulin, by Frederick Sanger who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for this in 1958.
  • The first protein structures to be solved were haemoglobin and myoglobin by Max Perutz and Sir John Cowdrey Kendrew in 1958. They won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for this achievement in 1962.
  • Proteins are used as enzymes, in muscle formation, as cell cytoskeleton, cell signalling and immune responses.
  • The process of digestion breaks down protein into free amino acids that are then used in metabolism.
  • 5. Nucleic acids - They are macromolecules formed by chains of nucleotides. Common examples include DNA and RNA.

    DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid)

  • It contains two strands of nucleotides arranged in a double helix structure.
  • In cells, DNA is organised into long structures called chromosomes.
  • It is used primarily for long-term storage of genetic information.
  • Swiss physician Friedrich Miescher first isolated DNA in 1869.
  • James Watson and Francis Crick suggested the double helix structure in 1953. They, along with Maurice Wilkins won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for this discovery in 1962.
  • RNA (Ribonucleic acid)

  • It contains one strand of nucleic acids.
  • It is less stable than DNA.
  • It is used primarily for protein synthesis.
  • Messenger RNA carries information from DNA to the ribosome. Translation RNA translates the information in the mRNA.
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