Molecules of Life

 Lesson6 chapters
 Questions

Objective
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to recognize the major categories of biomolecules such
as carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

What are the functions of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids?

Learn about it!

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are molecules that are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. They have a
general formula of CnH2nOn. They can be grouped depending on the number of their monomer
units called saccharides.
Monosaccharides are the simplest form of carbohydrates. They contain either five or six carbon
atoms. On the other hand, disaccharides are two monosaccharides bonded to each other. The
monosaccharides are linked through an ether (C−O−C) group.
Polysaccharides are long chains of monosaccharide units. They are also called complex
carbohydrates. Similar to disaccharides, the monosaccharides are linked through an ether bond in
polysaccharides.

Functions

The main function of carbohydrates is to store and provide energy. They are broken down into
smaller glucose units that can be easily absorbed by the cells. When glucose is further broken down,
the energy released by breaking its chemical bonds are used or stored by the body.

Some carbohydrates also serve as the framework of cellular structures. For example, cellulose
makes up the cell wall of plant cells. Chitin, another carbohydrate, forms the exoskeleton of
arthropods and the cell wall of fungal cells.

Example
A typical example of monosaccharide is glucose, C6H12O6, one of the products of photosynthesis in
plants.

Report errors

123456

Learn about it!

Lipids

Lipids are large, nonpolar biomolecules. They are mainly composed of carbon, hydrogen, and
oxygen. Unlike proteins and carbohydrates, lipids are not polymers with repeating monomer
subunits. They have many kinds including triglycerides, waxes, and steroids.

Triglycerides are lipids composed of glycerol and fatty acids. Glycerol is a molecule with three
carbons, each containing a hydroxyl (−OH) group while fatty acid is a long chain of carboxylic acid.
When three fatty acids bond to glycerol, they form ester bonds.
Waxes are lipids that are composed of a fatty acid with a long chain of alcohol. They are produced
by both plants and animals. Plants often produce wax that coats their leaves and prevents them from
drying out. Animals such as bees also produce wax. Bees create their honeycomb structures from
beeswax.

Steroids are lipids without fatty acid chains. Instead, they have multiple rings in their structures.
They are built from the basic four-ring steroid structure.

Functions

Lipids are the reserved sources of energy. The energy stored in their bonds is used by the body for
fuel. When the energy is abundant, cells store the excess energy in the fatty acids of triglycerides.

Lipids like waxes are used as a protective coating of organisms. Because they are hydrophobic,
lipids protect plants and animals from drying out by controlling evaporation.

Example
An example of a steroid is dietary lipid cholesterol. Cholesterol is the precursor of hormones such as
estrogen and progesterone. Recall that hormones are molecules that communicate between organs
to regulate physiology and behavior.
Report errors

123456

Learn about it!

Proteins

Proteins are biomolecules composed of amino acid units. Amino acids are organic molecules that
have a central carbon atom bonded to four different groups — an amino group (−NH2), an acidic
carboxyl group (−COOH), a hydrogen atom, and a variable side chain, R. The side chain can range
from a single hydrogen atom to complex ring structures.
In a protein, the amino acids are linked via a peptide bond. This peptide bond is formed between an
amino group of one amino acid and an acid carboxyl group of another amino acid. A chain of two or
more amino acids linked together by peptide bonds is called a peptide.

Functions

Many proteins function as enzymes, which are molecules that catalyze or speed up chemical
reactions in the body. Other proteins function as transport proteins. They carry small particles
throughout the body.

Example
The protein haemoglobin carries oxygen in the blood from the lungs to the rest of the body. An
important part of haemoglobin is its iron group (called heme), the part to which oxygen binds.

Report errors

123456

Learn about it!

Nucleic Acids

Nucleic acids, discovered by Friedrich Miescher in 1869, are biomolecules that are made up of
repeating units of nucleotides. Nucleotides are monomers with three components, a 5-carbon sugar,
a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. The nucleotides are linked through phosphodiester
bonds.

If the sugar is ribose, then the nucleotides make up the ribonucleic acid (RNA). On the other hand,
if the sugar is deoxyribose, then the nucleotides make up the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Both
DNA and RNA have nitrogenous bases. The five common nitrogenous bases are adenine (A),
guanine (G), cytosine(C), thymine (T), and uracil (U).

Functions

DNA contains the genetic instructions for the development and functioning of organisms. This
genetic information is converted by the RNA into amino acid sequences of proteins. RNA has three
types, messenger RNA (mRNA), ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and transfer RNA (tRNA). The mRNA
carries the genetic sequence information between the DNA and ribosomes. In ribosomes, proteins
are synthesized. The rRNA catalyzes the peptide bond formation while the tRNA serve as the carrier
molecules of the amino acids that make up the protein.

Report errors

123456

Try it!
Give 3 examples of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

What do you think?

Why are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids considered as the molecules of life?
Key Points
 Carbohydrates are molecules that are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. They
have a general formula of CnH2nOn. Their functions are to store energy and serve as the
framework of cellular structures.
 Lipids are large, nonpolar biomolecules mainly composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
They function as reserved sources of energy and protective coating of organisms.
 Proteins are biomolecules composed of amino acid units. The sequence of amino acids
determines the protein’s shape and function. In the body, proteins hasten chemical
reactions, transport substances, and provide structural support.
 Nucleic acids are biomolecules that are made up of repeating units of nucleotides, which
are made up of a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. They encode,
transmit, and express genetic information.
 Q1

 Single Answer
 Question
 Which of the following is true about monosaccharides?
 Correct answer
 It is the simplest form of carbohydrates.
 It is called complex carbohydrates.
 It is made up of several monomer units.
 It is composed of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
 Explanation
 Monosaccharides are the simplest form of carbohydrates. They contain either five or six carbon atoms.
 Report errors
 Q2

 Single Answer
 Question
 Which of the following monosaccharides is a product of photosynthesis in plants?
 Correct answer
 glucose
 fructose
 galactose
 maltose
 Explanation
 A typical example of monosaccharide is glucose, C6H12O6, one of the products of photosynthesis in plants.
 Report errors
 Q3

 Single Answer
 Question
 Which of the following substances is a monomer and not a macromolecule?
 Correct answer
 amino acid
 protein
 carbohydrate
 lipid
 Explanation
 Amino acids are monomers, not macromolecules. They are joined together by peptide bonds and form a
polypeptide chain. Once twisted into a 3-D shape, the chain forms a protein.
 Report errors
 Q4

 Single Answer
 Question
 Nucleotides are the monomers of which type of macromolecules?
 Correct answer
 nucleic acids
 proteins
 lipids
 carbohydrates
 Explanation
 Nucleotides are monomers with three components, a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous
base. The nucleotides are linked through phosphodiester bonds. They are the building blocks of nucleic
acids.
 Report errors
 Q5

 Multiple Choice
 Question
 Which of the following are nitrogenous bases of DNA?
 Correct answer
 adenine
 guanine
 uracil
 lycine
 Explanation
 DNAs have nitrogenous bases including adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine(C), and thymine (T).
 Report errors
 Q6

 Single Answer
 Question
 What are the monomers that make up a protein molecule?
 Correct answer
 amino acids
 nucleotides
 monosaccharides
 fatty acids
 Explanation
 Amino acids are the monomers of proteins. They are composed of a hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, a nitrogen
atom and a variable side chain. The variable chain determines the type of amino acid.
 Report errors
 Q7

 Multiple Choice
 Question
 Which of the following are the elements that comprise lipids?
 Correct answer
 carbon
 hydrogen
 oxygen
 sulfur
 Explanation
 Lipids are large, nonpolar biomolecules. They are mainly composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
 Report errors
 Q8

 Single Answer
 Question
 What do all macromolecules have in common?
 Correct answer
 They all contain carbon.
 They all contain sugar.
 They all contain phospholipids.
 They all contain amino acids.
 Explanation
 Macromolecules are organic compounds. They all contain carbon
 Report errors
 Q9

 Single Answer
 Question
 What do all lipids have in common?
 Correct answer
 They are all water insoluble.
 They all contain fatty acids.
 They all store energy.
 They are all hormones.
 Explanation
 Lipids are water insoluble, which means they do not dissolve in water.
 Report errors
 Q10

 Multiple Choice
 Question
 What are the roles of proteins?
 Correct answer
 They function as enzymes.
 They carry small particles throughout the body.
 They carry the genetic sequence information.
 They protect plants and animals from drying out by controlling evaporation.
 Explanation
 Many proteins function as enzymes, which are molecules that catalyze or speed up chemical reactions in
the body. Other proteins function as transport proteins. They carry small particles throughout the body.