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The 4 Major Organic Macromolecules
The 4 Major Organic Macromolecules
The cell is composed of several vital molecules which serve many roles in the life of a cell. There are 4 major groups of these molecules and each one serves a variey of functions. Each molecule is considered large, which is why we call them macromolecules. The term organic refers to their chemical composition. Each molecule contains the necessary elements of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen.
Lipids
Proteins
Nucleic Acids
Carbohydrates
Proteins are chains of amino acids held together by peptide and disulphide bonds. They serve a vast number of functions in the cell including comprising the structural components of your body, such as your hair, nails, and muscle tissues.
Lipids are molecules that are soluble in nonpolar substances such as Benzene and Chloroform but not soluble in polar substances such as water. Lipid molecules are broken down into three groups, each of which serves a very different function for the cell.
Carbohydrates are sugars, which are carbon rings with hydroxides attached. We use these molecules for the chemical reactions which produce our body's energy. Carbohydrates are found in many foods, but are abundant in starchy vegetables and bread.
Nucleic acids are strands of phosphate groups and sugars with Nitrogenous bases attached. The serve to store the genetic material which is used as a code for creating everything that comprises your body and it is also used for reproduction of cells and organisms. Different sugars are used in DNA and RNA.
The sugar-phosphate backbones spiral around each other in a shape called a double-helix. DNA uses Deoxyribose sugar while RNA uses Ribose sugar and each of these sugars contains a nitrogen containing base such as Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, and Thymine. RNA uses Uracil in place of Thymine.
Sugars are categorized by the number of sugar "rings" that make up the total molecule. A single carbohydrate ring is called a Monosaccharide. A sugar with two rings is called a Disaccharide and one with three or more rings is called a Polysaccharide.
Proteins have 4 levels of structure and their function relies on their 3 dimensional structure. The levels of structure are: Primary (Linear), Secondary (Double Helix), Tertiary (Pleated Sheet), and Quaternary (Two or more separate amino acid chains).
The three categories of lipids are:
- Triglycerides - These make up fats, oils, and waxes.
- Phospholipids - These make up a large part of the cell membrane, the Phospholipid Bilayer.
- Steroids - These make up hormones and cholesterol, which helps strengthen the Phospholipid Bilayer.