Introduction to Biomolecules

Introduction to Biomolecules

• Monomers are the building blocks of biomolecules.

Carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates serve as a quick source of energy.
• Monosaccharides are the monomers that make up carbohydrates.
• Carbohydrates are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (CHO).

Lipids

• Lipids (fats) are an excellent source of long-term energy.
• Glycerol and fatty acids are the monomers that compose lipids.
• Lipids are key components of the cell membrane
• Lipids are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (CHO

Proteins

• Amino acids are the monomers that form proteins.
• Essential for muscle development, immune system function, and act as enzymes.
• Genes contain the code for protein synthesis.
• Proteins consist of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen (CHON).

Nucleic Acids

• Nucleic acids, DNA and RNA, code for traits.
• Nucleotides are the monomers that make up nucleic acids, contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus (CHONP).

Biomolecules

• Biomolecules are carbon compounds.
• Carbon is prevalent due to its versatility in forming stable covalent bonds through electron-pair sharing.
• Atoms commonly found in covalent linkage are water, carbon dioxide, ammonium, nitrate, and dinitrogen.

Metabolic Processes

• Inorganic precursors are assimilated and transformed through increasingly complex levels of biomolecular order.

Structural Hierarchy in Molecular Organization of Life

• Level 1 - Monomeric units: Nucleotides, Amino Acids, Sugars, Metabolites
• Level 2 - Macromolecules: DNA, Protein, Cellulose
• Level 3 - Supramolecular Complexes: complex of Chromosome , Plasma Membrane,and Cell Wall
• Level 4 - : The cell and its organelles

Intermediates

• Intermediates are in cellular energy transformation and in the biosynthesis of various sets of building blocks.

Macromolecules

• Macromolecules are formed through covalent linkage of building blocks.

Supramolecular Complexes

• Supramolecular complexes are driven by interactions among macromolecules.
• It is the next level of organization after macromolecules.
• Examples:
  • Multifunctional enzyme complexes
  • Ribosomes
  • Chromosomes
  • Cytoskeletal elements

Properties of Biomolecules

• They contain the information or recipe of life.
• Biomolecules translate information to form functional, organized structures essential for life.
• They drive life processes by enabling interactions between structures.
• They extract energy to sustain life processes.

Biological Macromolecules

• They have a "SENSE" or directionality.
• They are informational.
• They have a characteristic three-dimensional architecture.
• Weak forces maintain structure and determine biomolecular interactions, are reversible, and restrict organisms to a narrow range of environmental conditions.
• Covalent bonds hold atoms together.
• Weak chemical or noncovalent bonds include intramolecular or intermolecular attractions between atoms.

Structural Complementarity

• Determines biomolecular interactions and is the essence of biomolecular recognition.
• Significant for understanding functional properties of biological systems.
• Examples:
  • Protein recognizes its specific metabolite.
  • Strand of DNA recognizes its complementary strand.
  • Sperm recognizes an egg.
• Achieved through mechanisms based on structural complementarity and weak chemical interactions.

Biomolecular Recognition

• Mediated by weak chemical forces and are transient.
• There is a dynamic interplay between metabolites and macromolecules, hormones and receptors, and participants instrumental to life processes.

Weak Forces

• Restrict organisms to a narrow range of physical conditions, including temperature, ionic strength, and relative acidity.

The Cell

• The discovery of the cell led to the identification of its atom.
• Characterizing life required studying the cell and analyzing its structure.
• It is essential to single out common denominators necessary for life and to identify differences for the performance of functions

Cell Theory

• All organisms are composed of one or more cells.
• The cell is the basic unit of structure and organization in organisms.
• All cells arise from preexisting cells.

Scientists and Discoveries

• Zacharias Janssen:
  • 1600s, Netherlands
  • Made the first compound microscope and telescope
• Anton van Leeuwenhoek:
  • Developed his own microscope and discovered bacteria ("animalcules") in dental scrapings.
• Robert Hooke:
  • Coined the term "cell" when observing cork compartments similar to monks' sleeping quarters..
• Matthias Schleiden:
  • Determined all plants were made of cells, said cells came from free-cell formation.
• Theodor Schwann:
  • Determined that all animals were made of cells
• Rudolph Virchow:
  • Stated that all cells come from cells; borrowed research from Robert Remak

The Cell as the Fundamental Unit of Life

• Means if there are issues with the cell, there will be effects on life.
• It is important to maintain healthy cells