Bioelements and
Macromolecules
Arguitxu de la Riva Caballero
Macarena Arrechavaleta
Colegio El Valle Alicante
Introduction
▪ C, H, O, N, P and S are bioelements as they are the building blocks of
biomolecules (macromolecules).
▪ Macromolecules are the building blocks to mantain your body: there
are four major types:
▪ Carbohydrates
▪ Lipids
▪ Proteins
▪ Nucleic Acids
▪ Carry out a wide variety of functions within our body from energy
storage to inheritance information or reciving and transmiting
information.
Monomers and Polymers
▪ Most biomolecules are polymers built by long chains of units or building blocks, also
called monomers.
▪ Because of the big size (sometime huge!) that they can get they are called
MACROmolecules.
CARBOHYDRATES
▪ Biological molecules made out of C, H and O – ratio 1 C per each H2O (which
gives the name to the molecules – carbo – (C) and hydrate – (water).
▪ Also known as SUGARS
▪ Form chains of different lengths
▪ Belong to three different categories:
▪ Monosaccharides
▪ Disaccharides
▪ Polysaccharides
MONOSACCHARIDES
▪ From mono = one and sacchar = sugar
– simple sugars GLUCOSE
▪ Most common GLUCOSE – six carbons
(C6 H12 O6)
▪ Contain from 3 to 7 C
▪ Oxygen is found as an –OH group
▪ Named depending on the number of
carbons – trioses (three carbons),
pentoses (five carbons), hexoses (six
carbons)
▪ When five or more C they’ll form rings
▪ Monosaccharides – monomers that
form the rest of carbohydrates
DISACCHARIDES
▪ di = two – formed by two monosaccharides
join together
▪ Most common – SUCROSE (table sugar) –
formed by GLUCOSE and fructose (sugar from
fruits)
▪ Other common – LACTOSE and maltose.
POLYSACCHARIDES
▪ A long chain of monosaccharides - polysaccharide (poly = several)
▪ Heavy molecular weigth due to the number of monomers joined together
▪ Some important polysaccharides are: starch, glycogen, cellulose and chitin
▪ They perform different functions:
▪ Energy Storage
▪ Starch in plants – source of energy for plant embryos. Human beings consume plants and use starch
also as energy source.
▪ Glycogen storage of glucose in human beings – it’s found in liver and muscles.
▪ Structural – provide structure
▪ Cellulose – major componment of cell walls – make them rigid (crunchy lettuce), Wood and paper
LIPIDS
▪ Molecules united for their inhability to mix up with wáter
▪ Made up of carbon chains (only C and H) – hydrophobic and non polar
▪ Main group FATS – essential for the body and have a number of important fucntions
▪ Associated to vitamins
▪ Energy storage – they contain over twice energy as carbohydrates
▪ Insulation for the body
▪ WAXES – important protector of epidermical surfaces:
▪ Feathers
▪ Leaves surfaces
▪ Fruits
LIPIDS
▪ PHOSPHOLIPIDS – major
components of the plasma
membrane
▪ Amphipatic molecules – part
hydrophobic (fats) and part
hydrophilic (phosphate and glycerol)
LIPIDS
▪ STEROIDS
▪ Main steroid – COLESTEROL, synthesized by the liver. Precursor of
different molecules:
▪ Hormones – sex hormones (testosterone and stradiol)
▪ Vitamin D
▪ Bile acids – digestion and absortion of fats
PROTEINS - aminoacids
▪ Among the most abundant substances in
living organisms
▪ All made up of one or more chains of
aminoacids (monomers/building blocks of
proteins)
▪ Each protein is made up or 1 or more
linear chains of aa, each chain is called
polypeptide.
▪ There are 20 different aa commonly found
in proteins
▪ Aminoácids – central C – amino group –
acid group – side C chain
▪ Side chain – determines properties of the
aminoacid
PROTEINS – types and
functions
▪ Play a wide role within any organism
▪ ENZYMES:
▪ Catalyst in biochemical reactions – means they speed up reactions. Example – salivary amylase –
breaks down amylose (kind of starch) in smaller sugars
▪ HORMONES:
▪ Long-distance signals – control determined physiological processes such as growth, development,
metabolism and reproduction. Example – insulin – regulates blood sugar levels
▪ TRANSPORT
▪ Carry substances through the blood and lymph – haemoglobin
▪ DEFENSE
▪ Protect the body against pathogens – antibodies
▪ CONTRACTION
▪ Carry out muscle contraction – myosin
▪ STORAGE
▪ Provide food for the early development of the embryo – egg white
NUCLEIC ACIDS
DNA structure
Its name is because:
✓ they were discovered inside the nucleus, and
✓ they are acidic
NUCLEIC ACIDS – types and
function TYPES: ▪
▪ FUNCTION:
To hold hereditary
information, which controls
cell functioning, and pass
it on to descendants.
NUCLEIC ACIDS – building
blocks
Nucleotides connect
together to
form chains
NUCLEIC ACIDS –differences
DNA -RNA
