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Understanding Macromolecules and Their Functions

The four main classes of macromolecules (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids) are known as polymers or macromolecules and are essential to living things. They are made primarily of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen but differ in their ratios, giving each different properties. Carbohydrates are used for energy and structure, and are made of monosaccharides like glucose that combine to form disaccharides and polysaccharides. Proteins are made of amino acids and are used to build cells and catalyze reactions, linking together through peptide bonds. Lipids are nonpolar and include phospholipids that form cell membranes, and fats containing fatty acid chains. Nucleic acids carry genetic information as

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513 views4 pages

Understanding Macromolecules and Their Functions

The four main classes of macromolecules (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids) are known as polymers or macromolecules and are essential to living things. They are made primarily of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen but differ in their ratios, giving each different properties. Carbohydrates are used for energy and structure, and are made of monosaccharides like glucose that combine to form disaccharides and polysaccharides. Proteins are made of amino acids and are used to build cells and catalyze reactions, linking together through peptide bonds. Lipids are nonpolar and include phospholipids that form cell membranes, and fats containing fatty acid chains. Nucleic acids carry genetic information as

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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Name: _______________

Date: _______________
Elements & Macromolecules in Organisms
The four main classes of organic compounds (carbohydrates,
lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids) that are essential to the proper
functioning of all living things are known as polymers or
macromolecules. All of these compounds are built primarily of carbon,
hydrogen, and oxygen but in different ratios. This gives each
compound different properties.

CARBOHYDRATES are used by the body for energy and structural


support in cell walls of plants and exoskeletons of insects and
crustaceans. They are made of smaller subunits called
monosaccharides. Monosaccharides have carbon, hydrogen, and
oxygen in a 1:2:1 ratio. Monosaccharides or simple sugars include
glucose, galactose, and fructose. Although their chemical
formulas are the same, they have different structural formulas.
These simple sugars combine to make disaccharides (double sugars
like sucrose) and polysaccharides (long chains like cellulose, chitin,
and glycogen.

Questions:

1. Macromolecules are also known as _____________.

2. If all the macromolecules are made mainly of the elements CHO,


how are they different?

3. Name 2 ways your body uses carbohydrates.

4. What are the subunits called that make up carbohydrates?


5. Name 3 monosaccharides.

6. Monosaccharides are ___________ sugars.

7. What are disaccharides & give an example?

8. Long chains of sugars are ______________. Name three.

PROTEINS are made of subunits called amino acids and are used
to build cells and do much of the work inside organisms. They also act
as enzymes helping to control metabolic reactions in organisms.

Condensation (removal of a water molecule) links amino acids link


together to form chains called polypeptides. Polypeptide chains join
to form proteins. The bonds holding amino acids to each other are
known as peptide bonds.

Questions:

9. What subunits make up proteins?

10. Proteins also act as __________ in cells to control reactions.

11. Name the 2 functional groups in amino acids.

12. Amino acids are linked together to make proteins by removing a


molecule of ________ in a process called ____________.

13. Chains of amino acids make _______________ which can join


together to make a __________.

2
14. __________ bonds form when water is removed to hold
_________ acids together.

LIPIDS are large, nonpolar (won't dissolve in water) molecules.


Phospholipids make up cell membranes. A special type of lipid called
phospholipids help make up the cell membrane. Two layers of these
phospholipids make up the membrane. Phospholipids have a "water-
loving" hydrophilic head and two "water-fearing" hydrophobic tails.
Lipids also serve as waxy coverings (cuticle) on plants, pigments
(chlorophyll), and steroids. Lipids have more carbon and hydrogen
atoms than oxygen atoms. Fats are made of a glycerol (alcohol) and
three fatty acid chains. This subunit is called a triglyceride.

Cell Membrane

Questions:

15. Lipids are nonpolar. What does this mean?

16. _________________ makes up cell membranes.

17. Name a waxy lipid covering plants.


3
18. Plant pigments like ______________ are also __________.

19. _______ layers of ____________ make up the cell membrane.

20. The head of a phospholipid __________ water and is said to be


______________.

21. The 2 tails of a phospholipid __________ water and is said to be


______________.

Nucleic acids carry the genetic information in a cell. DNA or


deoxyribose nucleic acid contains all the instructions for making
every protein needed by a living thing. RNA copies and transfers
this genetic information so that proteins can be made. The subunits
that make up nucleic acids are called nucleotides.

Questions:

22. Nucleic acids carry __________ information in a molecule called


____________ or _____________ ___________ acid.

23. DNA has the instructions for making a cell's ____________.

24. The nucleic acid _________ copies DNA so _________ can be


made.

25. __________ are the subunits making up nucleic acid.

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