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Questions and Answers
What is the chemical definition of carbohydrates?
What is the chemical definition of carbohydrates?
How many sugar units classify a substance as a polysaccharide?
How many sugar units classify a substance as a polysaccharide?
Which biomolecule makes up around 50% of the cellular dry weight?
Which biomolecule makes up around 50% of the cellular dry weight?
What is the main function of carbohydrates in living organisms?
What is the main function of carbohydrates in living organisms?
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What is the primary function of nucleic acids?
What is the primary function of nucleic acids?
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Which biomolecule is collectively called saccharides?
Which biomolecule is collectively called saccharides?
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Which protein is responsible for allowing movement by muscle contraction?
Which protein is responsible for allowing movement by muscle contraction?
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What is the structural classification of proteins based on?
What is the structural classification of proteins based on?
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Which nitrogenous base is found in DNA but not in RNA?
Which nitrogenous base is found in DNA but not in RNA?
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What is the main characteristic that distinguishes lipids from carbohydrates, proteins, and nucleic acids?
What is the main characteristic that distinguishes lipids from carbohydrates, proteins, and nucleic acids?
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Study Notes
Biomolecules
- Biomolecules are essential organic molecules involved in maintaining and metabolic processes of living organisms.
- They range from small molecules like primary and secondary metabolites and hormones to large macromolecules like proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, lipids, etc.
Carbohydrates
- Carbohydrates are chemically defined as polyhydroxy aldehydes or ketones or compounds that produce them on hydrolysis.
- They are collectively called saccharides, and are often referred to as sugars or sweet-tasting substances.
- Carbohydrates are classified as monosaccharides (1 unit), oligosaccharides (2-10 units), and polysaccharides (more than 10 units) depending on the number of constituting sugar units obtained upon hydrolysis.
- They serve as a major dietary source of energy and have structural importance in many living organisms.
Proteins
- Proteins are polymers of amino acids arranged in the form of polypeptide chains.
- Protein structure is classified as primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary, based on the level of complexity of the folding of a polypeptide chain.
- Proteins play both structural and dynamic roles, with examples including myosin, which enables muscle contraction, and enzymes, which are mostly proteinaceous.
Nucleic Acids
- Nucleic acids refer to the genetic material found in cells that carries hereditary information from parents to progeny.
- There are two types of nucleic acids: deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA).
- The main function of nucleic acids is to transfer genetic information and synthesize proteins through transcription and translation.
- The monomeric unit of nucleic acids is the nucleotide, composed of a nitrogenous base, pentose sugar, and phosphate.
- There are four major nitrogenous bases found in DNA: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine, with uracil replacing thymine in RNA.
- The DNA structure is described as a double-helix or double-helical structure formed by hydrogen bonding between the bases of two antiparallel polynucleotide chains.
Lipids
- Lipids are organic substances that are insoluble in water, soluble in organic solvents, and are related to fatty acids.
- They are utilized by living cells and include fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins, mono-, di-, or triglycerides, phospholipids, etc.
- Unlike carbohydrates, proteins, and nucleic acids, lipids are not polymeric molecules.
- Lipids play a crucial role in cellular structure and serve as a chief source of energy.
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Description
Explore the four major classes of biomolecules that are essential for the maintenance and metabolic processes in living organisms. Learn about carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids, ranging from small molecules to large macromolecules.
