Transcript nucleic acids

Word of the Day
Macromolecule:
a larger molecule--there are 4 types that
make up all living things!!
Biological Macromolecules
Similarities among all types of cells

All cells use nucleic acids (DNA) to store information
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All cells use proteins (ex: enzymes) for chemical
reactions
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All cells use lipids (fats) for the cell membrane &
long-term energy storage
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All cells use carbohydrates for cell walls (if present),
recognition, and short-term energy
Macromolecules
Carbohydrates
Lipids
Proteins
Nucleic acids
Monomers (subunits)
:
:
:
:
monosaccharide
glycerol and fatty acids
amino acids
nucleotides
Where do macromolecules come
from?
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Some cells can make all of the monomers
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Some cells can get these subunits from food
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Some cells can convert other compounds into these subunits
A. Carbohydrates

All have general formula CnH2nOn
C6H1206
Glucose
Ex:
Carbohydrate Structure
RINGS!
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Glucose
Galactose
Carbohydrate Structure

Monosaccharides can link
to form disaccharides
Glucose
+
Fructose
Sucrose
Carbohydrates

Function: to provide
Cell structure
Chitin in exoskeleton
Cellulose in plant cell walls Lipopolysaccharides (LPS)
in bacterial cell wall
Complex Carbohydrates
& Function
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Cellulose
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Most abundant carbohydrate on the planet!
Makes up plant cell walls (structure)
Indigestible by animals
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Starch
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Energy storage molecule in plants
 Can be digested by animals
Glycogen
 Animal energy reserve
 Found primarily in liver and muscle
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Complex Carbohydrates
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B. Lipids
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Lipids
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Monomers: Fatty acids (Polymers of CH2 units) AND
Glycerol
Structure: long chains of CH2 units
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Lipids
Function

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Long-term Energy Storage
Make up cell membranes and cell compartments
C. Proteins
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Proteins serve many essential roles in the cell
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Monomer is amino acid
20 naturally occurring amino acids

The large number of amino acids allows huge diversity in amino
acid sequence
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Protein Function
Some examples
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Structure

Lamins, collagen, keratin…….
Movement 
Micro-tubueles, actin, myosin
Transport-regulate transport

Channels, receptors, dynin, kinesin
Communication

Hormones
Chemical Catalyst
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Enzymes (thousands of different enzymes)
Defense
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Antibodies, cellular immune factors
Regulatory
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Checkpoint proteins, cyclins, transcription factors
D. Nucleic Acids
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DNA –deoxyribonucleic acid
RNA –ribonucleic acid
Monomer: nucleotide
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Function of Nucleic
Acids

Nucleic Acids

Information Storage


DNA / mRNA
Information transfer / Recognition

rRNA / tRNA / snRNA