Lecture 3 Structure and Function of Biological Molecules
Lecture 3 Structure and Function of Biological Molecules
• Organic Compounds
• contain Carbon
• large molecules, covalently bonded
• Ex. carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic
acids
All life is Carbon based
• Why is carbon so special?
• 4 valence electrons
• makes strong covalent bonds
• able to bond with many other elements
• can make very large molecules
Elements that builds up life
• 98% of your body weight is made up from 6 elements
• Carbon
• Hydrogen
• Nitrogen
• Oxygen
• Phosphorus
• Sulfur
Macromolecules
monomer
monomer
monomer
The FOUR Classes of Large Biomolecules
• All living things are made up of four classes of large
biological molecules:
• Carbohydrates
• Lipids
• Protein
• Nucleic Acids
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Macromolecules are polymers, built from monomers
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The synthesis and breakdown of polymers
Synthesis of Biological Macromolecules
• A dehydration reaction
occurs when two monomers
bond together through the
loss of a water molecule
• Polymers are disassembled to
monomers by hydrolysis, a
reaction that is essentially the
reverse of the dehydration
reaction
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Dehydration Synthesis
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Hydrolysis
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Carbohydrates Serve as Fuel
CARBOHYDRATES
& Building Material
• Glucose
• also known as “dextrose”
• major source of energy in most
living things
• blood sugar
• Molecular formula : C6H12O6
MONOSACCHARIDES
• Fructose
• also known as “fruit sugar”
• sweetest of all the sugars
• cannot be used for energy
• molecular formula : C6H12O6
• Galactose
• found in dairy products
• molecular formula : C6H12O6
Sugars: Disaccharides
DISACCHARIDES
• A disaccharide is formed when a dehydration reaction
joins two monosaccharides
• Glycogen is a storage
polysaccharide in animals
• Humans and other
vertebrates store glycogen
mainly in liver and muscle
cells
Types of Polysaccharides: Storage
STORAGE POLYSACCHARIDES
• Starch, a storage
polysaccharide of plants,
consists entirely of glucose
monomers
• Plants store surplus starch as
granules within chloroplasts
and other plastids
Types of Polysaccharides: Structural
STRUCTURAL POLYSACCHARIDES
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Polysaccharide
STRUCTURAL
Random Acts of BiologyPOLYSACCHARIDES
• contain C, H, O (sometimes P)
• All lipids are hydrophobic
• Functions:
• store energy
• insulation / regulate heat
• make cell membranes
Fats: Start with a Simple Little
Glycerol Molecule LIPIDS
• 4 Types of Lipids
• Triglycerides
• Phospholipids
• Steroids
• Waxes
Most Lipids are made of Fatty Acids
• Monomer-like part of Lipids
• Made of a “head” and “tail”
• Tail – long chain of C bonded H (hydrocarbon chain)
• Head – COOH (carboxyl group) at one end
TRIGLYCERIDES (FATS AND OIL)
• Most common type of lipid
• In butter, lard, margarines, and oils
• Energy storage and protection / insulation
• Made up of 1 glycerol and 3 fatty acids
Dehydration Reaction THREE!!!
• The joining of the C of
the fatty acid to the O
of the hydroxyl group
of the glycerol is called
an ester linkage
• In a fat, three fatty
acids are joined to
glycerol by an ester
linkage, creating a
triacylglycerol, or
triglyceride
Saturated or Unsaturated?
Fatty Acids can either be Saturated and Unsaturated
• Contains C, H, O, N, S
• most abundant macromolecule
• Each has a unique structure and
function
• Examples: enzymes, antibodies,
skin, hair, muscle, ligaments,
hormones, feathers, blood cloths
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
• Amino Acids
• Protein monomer
• 20 different kind of amino acid
• Polypeptide
• Protein polymer
• Proteins
• Many polypeptides bind
together
AMINO ACID STRUCTURE
AMINO ACID STRUCTURE
20 AMINO ACIDS
ESSENTIAL AND NON-ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS
PROTEIN FUNCTION
• Structure • Storage
• collagen, elastin, keratin • ovalbumin, casein
• Transport • Hormones
• hemoglobin • Insulin, glucagon
• Motion • Enzymes
• actin, myosin • lactase, lipase, amylase
• Defense • Buffers
• antibodies • maintains pH
LEVELS OF PROTEIN STRUCTURE
• Proteins is two or more polypeptides folded and coiled
together in a specific 3D shape
• The structure (shape) of a protein determines its job and
whether or not it cannot do it
• Proteins can be denatured by pH, temperature, heavy
metals
DENATURATION