Biomolecules and Their Functions

Organic compounds essential for life, including proteins and nucleic acids.

Categories include amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids.

Organic compounds made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen; can be simple or complex sugars.

Single sugar molecules that cannot be hydrolyzed into smaller sugars; examples include glucose.

Carbohydrates made of two monosaccharide units connected by a glycosidic bond.

Large carbohydrates formed from many monosaccharides; used for energy storage or structure.

The bond formed between monosaccharides during condensation, linking them together.

Homopolysaccharides consist of identical monosaccharides; heteropolysaccharides have different types.

Lipids serve multiple functions: energy storage, insulation, protection, and cellular signaling.

A chemical process in the 17th and 18th centuries that led to large-scale soap production from lipids.

Lipids were utilized for cooking, preservation, and industrial applications such as fuel and candles.

Renewable energy sources derived from lipid-rich biomass, like algae, for sustainable energy.

Products derived from lipids that enhance health benefits and are designed for wellness.

The cosmetics sector increasingly uses plant-based and biotechnologically sourced lipids in their products.

Future research aims to design microorganisms to produce high-value fatty acids through genetic engineering.

Insulin was the first protein to be sequenced, by Dr. Frederick Sanger in 1955.

A process used to amplify specific DNA sequences for detection and quantification of genetic material.

Mapping an individual's entire genome quickly and affordably for personalized medical treatments.

Vaccines developed using messenger RNA technology, showcased during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A technique for delivering therapeutic nucleic acids to specific cells for treating genetic disorders.

Combining nucleic acids with semiconductors to create bio-electronic devices for chemical detection.

Advancements in therapies utilizing RNA, like RNA interference, for medical treatments.

Using nucleic acids to develop biofuels, highlighting applications in biotechnology.

Nucleic acid-based sensors developed to detect pollutants and assess ecological conditions.

Complex macromolecules essential for storing and transmitting genetic information.

Deoxyribonucleic acid; serves as an organism's genetic blueprint.

Ribonucleic acid; translates genetic information from DNA into proteins.

Monomers that make up nucleic acids; consist of a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

DNA contains adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C), and guanine (G).

RNA contains adenine (A), uracil (U), cytosine (C), and guanine (G).

The typical structure of DNA formed by two strands wound around each other.

Nucleic acids regulate cellular processes like cell division and metabolism.

A naturally-occurring polymer made of amino acids, crucial for cellular functions.

Organic compounds with both amino and carboxyl groups, the building blocks of proteins.

Amino acids that must be obtained from the diet, as the body cannot synthesize them.

Amino acids that the body can synthesize, thus not required in the diet.

Amino acids that are required in certain conditions, such as illness or stress.

Property of molecules with a chiral center, leading to enantiomerism in amino acids.

Covalent bond formed between the amino group of one amino acid and the carboxyl group of another.

The three-dimensional arrangement of a protein's polypeptide chains, formed by interactions.

A gene-editing technology for precise modifications in DNA.

A technique to amplify small segments of DNA for analysis.

An enzyme that joins DNA fragments together.

Proteins that cut DNA at specific sequences.

A biological process that regulates gene expression.