BIOLOGY: BIOMOLECULES

BIOLOGY: BIOMOLECULES

Hi Friends

Come On Let us dive into the ocean of General Science,

1. Lipids
   • They are a broad group of molecules that include fats, fatty acids, sterol, waxes, glycerides and phospholipids
   • Fats are a subgroup of lipids called triglycerides
   • Cholesterol is an example of the type of lipids called sterol
   • The main functions of lipids include energy storage, cell signaling and cell structure
2. Carbohydrates
   • They are organic compounds that contain only carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
   • They belong to 3 types: monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides
   • Monosaccharides
     • Monosaccharides are the simplest form of carbohydrates, and cannot be broken down any further.
     • Eg: glucose and fructose
     • Monosaccharides dissolve in water, taste sweet and are called “sugars”
     • Used as energy source and in biosynthesis
   • Disaccharides
     • Disaccharides are compounds made by two monosaccharides bound together.
     • Eg: sucrose and lactose
     • Like monosaccharides, disaccharides dissolve in water, taste sweet and are called “sugars”
     • Used for carbohydrate transport
   • Polysaccharides
     • Polysaccharides are compounds made by complex chains of monosaccharides.
     • Eg: cellulose, glycogen
     • Used for energy storage (glycogen) and for cell walls (cellulose)
     • Cellulose is the most abundant organic molecule on Earth
3. Amino acids
   • They are molecules that contain an amine group and a carboxyl group
   • Eg: glycine, monosodium glutamate
   • They are the building blocks of proteins
   • Applications include metabolism, drug therapy, flavour enhancement, manufacture of biodegradble 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 hemoglobin 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 signaling 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)
     • Contains two strands of nucleotides arranged in a double helix structure
     • In cells, DNA is organized into long structures called chromosomes
     • Used primarliy for long term storage of genetic information
     • DNA was first isolated by Swiss physician Friedrich Miescher in 1869
     • The double helix structure was suggested by James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953. They, alongwith Maurice Wilkins won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for this discovery in 1962
   • RNA (ribonucleic acid)
     • Contains one strand of nucleic acids
     • Less stable than DNA
     • Used primarily for protein synthesis
     • Messenger RNA carries information from DNA to the ribosome. Translation RNA translates the information in the mRNA
     • RNA synthesis was discovered by Severo Ochoa of Spain, for which he won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1959

Matching cell functions to biomolecules

Function	Biomolecule
Cell structure	Lipid
Impact protection	Lipids and proteins
Enzymes	Proteins
Energy storage	Carbohydrates, proteins, lipids
Cell movement and support	Proteins (actin and myosin)
Protein synthesis	Nucleic acids (RNA)
Hormones	Proteins
Immediate cellular energy	Carbohydrates (glucose)
Electrical and thermal insulation	Lipids
Storage of amino acids	Proteins
Genetic information	Nucleic acids (DNA)

THANKS


JOHAR