Macromolecules

1. Carbohydrates

sugar, the smallest carbohydrates, serve as fuel and carbon sources. Polysaccharides, the polymers of sugars, have storage and structural roles.
Made of carbon, bydrogen, and oxygen


Monosaccharides and Disaccharides
Ex. Glucose, Ribose, Maltose, Lactose, Sucrose
Structure: can exist as a carbon chain, or a ring. the ring form is more stable and more prevalent at equilibrium. Disaccharides are made of two monosaccharides joined by a glycosodic linkage (an oxygen atom holding two rings together)
Function: Glucose is the principle molecule used for energy production during cellular respiration


Polysaccharides
Ex. Cellulose, Starch, Glycogen, Chitin
Sturcture: Chains of monosaccharides joined by glycosodic linkages (one oxygen atom joins 2 rings)
Function: Cellulose and chitin are structural; starch and glycogen are means of storing glucose for long periods


2. Lipids

fats store large amounts of energy

phospholipids are major components of cell membranes

steroids include cholesterol and certain hormones

made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen

triglycerides

structure:1 glycerol molecule joined to 3 fatty acid molecules

function: used for insulation adn long-term energy storage

phospholipids

structure: 1 glycerol molecule joined to 2 fatty acid molecules and a phosphate group

function: primary component of cell membranes

steroids

Ex.: cholesterol, estradiol, testosterone

structure: 4 interlinked carbon rings with functional groups attached

function: hormonal functioning; some help control the fluidity of cell membranes

3. Nucleic Acids

 

nucleic acids store and transmit hereditary information

a nucliec acid strand is a polymer of nucleotides

inheritance is based on replication of the DNA double helix

we can use DNA and proteins as tape measures of evolution

made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus

DNA

structure: made of repeating units of 4 nucleotides. A nucleotide is made of a phosphate group, a pentose sugar (deoxyribose, and one of four nitrogenous bases ( adenine, cytosine, guanine, thymine) double stranded helix

function: stores genetic information

RNA

structure: made of repeating unit of 4 nucleotides. the pentose sugar is ribose rather than deoxyribe. the 3 bases are adenine, uracil, guanine, and cytosine. single-stranded

function: transfer genetic information to ribosomes for protein synthesis, carries amino acids into place, and holds ribosomal subunits together.

4. Proteins

a polypeptide is a polymer of amino acids connected in a specific sequence

a protein's function depends on its specific conformation

made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen

structure: polymers of repeating units of 20 kinds of amino acid. Amino acids are structurally similar except for one side chain that varies from acid to acid. adjacent amino acids are joined by peptide bonds. one or more polypeptide may be joined to form a protein 

function: structure, enzymes, packaging, cell to cell communication, cell recognition, immune response


Reference:
http://biomodel.uah.es/en/model3/index.htm
the Biology book 6th edition
google images