Organic Macromolecules
Macromolecule literally means “Giant Molecule”
Organic Macromolecules are all based on a “skeleton” of carbon atoms.
Life is based on Carbon for 2 reasons1. Carbon is abundant in nature2. Carbon has the ability to bond with itself
and with many different elements
4 Types of Macromolecules
Carbohydrates: Sugars + Starches
Lipids: Fats and Oils
Protein: Muscle Tissue
Nucleic Acids: Microscopic Genetic Material
Polymerization
Macromolecules are built by linking together smaller molecules (monomers) into long chains (polymers)
Monomers combine by disconnecting from some of the hydrogen and oxygen atoms between them
After the monomers bond, the excess hydrogen and oxygen atoms form a water molecule.
Since this bonding process releases water, we call it Dehydration Synthesis or Dehydration-Hydrolysis
Carbohydrates: Monosaccharides
The monomer of carbohydrates is a single sugar with the chemical formula of C6H12O6
These simple sugars are called Monosaccharides
All monosaccharides have the same chemical formula, but different shapes.
Examples:GlucoseFructoseGalactose
Carbohydrates: Disaccharides
Disaccharide = Double sugar.
They’re made by joining 2 monosaccharides
Examples:Sucrose: Table SugarLactose: Milk SugarMaltose: Grain Sugar
Carbohydrates: Polysaccharides
Polysaccharide = Many sugars
This is a long chain of monosaccharides
Examples:Starch: Grain FoodsCellulose: Plant fiber
Lipids
Lipids are made of mostly carbon and hydrogen.
Lipids are used in two ways:Storage of energyInsulate and Cushion Organs
Lipids are composed of two units bonded together that form the shape of a capital E.Glycerol: The vertical “backbone”Fatty Acids: The horizontal chains
Types of Lipids
There are two types of Lipids:Saturated - when each carbon atom in
the fatty acid chain is joined to another carbon by a single bond. The fatty acids are straight.
Unsaturated - if there is at least one carbon to carbon bond that is a double bond in a fatty acid chain. The fatty acids are bent.
Comparing plant and animal fats
Most animal fats have a high proportion of saturated fatty acids & exist as solids at room temperature (butter, margarine, shortening)
Most plant oils tend to be low in saturated fatty acids & exist as liquids at room temperature (oils)
Proteins
Proteins contain nitrogen as well as carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
Proteins are extremely long polymers of molecules called amino acids.
Proteins are used for muscles, act as hormones & enzymes, and do much of the work inside body cells
Protein Folding & Denaturing
Protein chains can bend and fold into a variety of shapes, depending on the job they need to do.
Some large proteins are made by combining many protein chains together.
Changes in temperature & pH can denature (unfold) a protein so that it no longer works
Denaturating Proteins
Cooking denatures protein in eggs
Milk protein separates into curds & whey when it is exposed to acids
Nucleic Acids
Nucleic acids are macromolecules containing hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus.
They are composed of long chains of nucleotides (monomer).
Nucleic acids store and transmit hereditary, or genetic, information.
There are two types of nucleic acid:DNA - deoxyribonucleic acidRNA - ribonucleic acid