Macromolecules Life Small Picture to Big Picture Macromolecules
Macromolecules
Life: Small Picture to Big Picture Macromolecules
What are Macromolecules? • Cells and their organelles are made up of smaller building blocks called macromolecules. • There are 4 basic types of macromolecules. They are: – Lipids – Proteins – Carbohydrates – Nucleic Acids
Monomers & Polymers • Macromolecules are actually made up of even smaller subunits. Each subunit of a macromolecule is called a monomer. • The macromolecules themselves are called polymers, because they are made up of many of these subunits. Monomer: one basic unit or subunit Polymer: a chain of many basic units
What you need to know: • Names of the 4 macromolecules • Structure- monomers and polymers of each • Function- what are they used for? • Food sources- what foods will you find these in? • Indicator Tests- what tests do we use to find out if a food contains them?
Lipids
Lipids: Structure • Lipids are made up of… – Monomer (basic unit): fatty acids – Polymer (chain of units): lipids • Specific examples: triglycerides, phospholipids
Lipids: Structure* Properties of Lipids caused by: • Saturated vs. Unsaturated fatty acids • Polar head and nonpolar tail regions – Hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions
Lipids: Function • Make up the cell membrane, providing cell structure • Provide insulation (fat keeps body warm) • Long-term energy storage
Lipids: Food Sources • As you might have guessed, fatty foods contain lipids. • Lipids are found in meat and fish, oils, avacados, eggs & nuts.
Lipids: Indicator Test • Paper Bag Test: – Smear substance onto paper bag – If see-thru, it contains lipids
Proteins
Proteins: Structure • Proteins are made up of… – Monomer (basic unit): amino acids • 20 different kinds!* – Polymer (chain of units): protein • More specifically- polypeptides dipeptide Amino acids linked by peptide bonds
Proteins: Structure* 20 Amino Acids: Some of these are polar & hydrophilic, others are nonpolar and hydrophobic. Proteins can contain both kinds.
Proteins: Structure • Proteins have complex structures. The shape of a protein determines its function! • The levels of protein structure are: – Primary structure: polypeptide chain – Secondary structure: polypeptides in coils or sheets – Tertiary structure: coils or sheets form a tangle – Quaternary structure: more than one tangle combine to make a very complex protein!
Proteins: Function • Build and repair muscle and tissues – “No pain, no gain!” • Enzymes- proteins that speed up chemical reactions
Proteins: Food Sources • Proteins are found in meat, fish, legumes, nuts, milk, eggs, grains and soy products. • There are 6 amino acids that our bodies cannot make- we can only get these from food.
Proteins: Indicator Test • Biuret’s Solution: – Turns from blue to purple if protein is present
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates: Structure • Carbohydrates are made up of… – Monomer (basic unit): simple sugars (or monosaccharides) • Ex. : glucose – Polymer (chain of units): complex carbohydrates (or polysaccharides) • Ex. : starch, cellulose, chitin, glycogen Disaccharide: 2 simple sugars bonded together
Carbohydrates: Function • Provide body with energy! Complex carb (ex. Starch) – What should you eat before playing the big game? Candy bar or pasta? • Candy bar: contains simple sugars, provides a short burst of energy • Pasta: contains starch which takes longer to break down, provides longer-lasting energy – *We can’t digest celluloseit is used as fiber, or roughage instead. Broken down to disaccharides Broken down further • Ex. : corn Simple sugars (ex. Glucose)
Carbohydrates: Food Sources • Simple carbs (simple • Complex carbs (like sugars) are found in starches) are found in most candy and sweet pasta, bread, drinks, fruit, potatoes, legumes & vegetables, and milk. corn. They take longer They are quickly to digest, and provide digested and give a energy longer. short burst of energy.
Carbohydrates: Indicator Tests • Simple Sugars: – Benedict’s solution – Blue solution turns orange/green/brown • Complex Carbs: – Lugol’s solution/Iodine – Turns from orange-red -brown to black-purple
Nucleic Acids
Nucleic Acids: Structure • Nucleic Acids are made up of… – Monomers (basic unit): nucleotides – Polymers (chain of units): DNA or RNA
Nucleic Acids: Function • Stores and carries genetic information
Nucleic Acids: Food Sources • We get nucleic acid components from vitamins and minerals in our diet. These in turn, come from fruits, vegetables, grains, meats, & almost anything else you can think of with some nutritional value (no junk food!).
Nucleic Acids: Indicator Test • You will not be using an indicator test for these but in case you’re wondering… • Dische diphenylamine test – Turns from clear-light blue to dark blue if nucleic acids are present
Digestion & Reconstruction • When macromolecules are eaten, they are digested and broken down into their subunits (monomers). – Analogy: taking apart an old brick building • Inside the cells, these subunits are reconstructed into the macromolecules we need. – Analogy: using bricks to build a new building
Digestion Products Macromolecule eaten: Carbohydrates Broken down in stomach to: Simple sugars (i. e. glucose) Lipids Proteins Fatty acids & glycerol (glycerol further broken down to glucose) Amino acids Nucleic Acids Nucleotides
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