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Questions and Answers
What term is used to describe the thousands of organic compounds such as amino acids and sugars found in living organisms?
What term is used to describe the thousands of organic compounds such as amino acids and sugars found in living organisms?
Which of the following is classified as a primary metabolite?
Which of the following is classified as a primary metabolite?
What distinguishes secondary metabolites from primary metabolites?
What distinguishes secondary metabolites from primary metabolites?
Which of the following nucleotides is classified as a pyrimidine?
Which of the following nucleotides is classified as a pyrimidine?
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What sugar component is found in ribonucleic acid (RNA)?
What sugar component is found in ribonucleic acid (RNA)?
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Which of the following secondary metabolites is used as a drug?
Which of the following secondary metabolites is used as a drug?
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What is the building block of nucleic acids?
What is the building block of nucleic acids?
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Which of the following is a component of nucleotides?
Which of the following is a component of nucleotides?
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Study Notes
Biomolecules: Primary and Secondary Metabolites
- Biomolecules include thousands of organic compounds like amino acids and sugars.
- These are categorized as "metabolites."
- Primary metabolites are found in animal tissues and include various compounds.
- Secondary metabolites are found in plants, fungi, and microbes; thousands of compounds beyond primary types (alkaloids, flavonoids, rubber).
- Primary metabolites have known functions in physiological processes.
- Roles of many secondary metabolites in host organisms are not fully understood.
- However, many secondary metabolites are beneficial to humans (e.g., rubber, drugs, spices).
- Some secondary metabolites have ecological importance.
Examples of Secondary Metabolites
- Pigments: Carotenoids, Anthocyanins
- Alkaloids: Morphine, Codeine
- Terpenoids: Monoterpenes, Diterpenes
- Essential oils: Lemon grass oil
- Toxins: Abrin, Ricin
- Lectins: Concanavalin A
- Drugs: Vinblastin, curcumin
- Polymeric substances: Rubber, gums, cellulose
Nucleic Acids
- Nucleic acids are another type of macromolecule found in living tissues.
- They are polynucleotides.
- Important macromolecules alongside polysaccharides and polypeptides.
- The building block of nucleic acids is a nucleotide.
- A nucleotide has three parts:
- Heterocyclic compound (nitrogenous base)
- Monosaccharide (sugar)
- Phosphoric acid (or phosphate)
- Nitrogenous bases in nucleic acids include adenine, guanine, uracil, cytosine, and thymine.
- Adenine and Guanine are purines.
- Uracil, cytosine, and thymine are pyrimidines.
- The sugar can be ribose or 2'-deoxyribose.
- Nucleic acid with deoxyribose is DNA.
- Nucleic acid with ribose is RNA.
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Description
Explore the fascinating world of biomolecules in this quiz, focusing on primary and secondary metabolites. Learn about their roles in different organisms and their significance to humans and ecology. Test your knowledge on examples and functions of these essential compounds.
