Biomolecules:ACompleteSummary

Carbohydrates Lipids AminoAcids Proteins NucleicAcids

Formula/Composition Cn(H2O)n

Varies–Lookforglyceroland

nonpolarregions–alcoholOHcommon

ContainsAmine(NH2/NH3+)andCarboxylic

Acid(COOH/COO‐)andsidechain

PolymerofPeptides

PentoseSugar,PhosphateGroup,andNitrogen

containingbase

Structure

Mono‐,Di‐,orPoly‐

saccharides

DorLandαorβ

CyclicorAcyclic

SaturatedorUnsaturated

N‐terminusandC‐terminusofaminoacid

SorR

Hydrophilic,Charged;

Hydrophilic,Uncharged;Nonpolar,Uncharged

Primary,Secondary,Tertiary,andQuaternary

α‐helixorβ‐pleatedsheet

Purines(2rings)orPyrimidines(1ring)

Linkage(s)

LinkageatAnomericCarbon

(glycosidiclinkage)

Varies–Generally

HydrophobicInteractions/EsterLinkage

PeptideBond

PeptideBond

DisulfideBridges

PhosphodiesterLinkages

BiologicalFunction Energy/Fuel

Metabolic,Thermal,andBarrierFunctions

BuildingBlocksofPeptidesand

Proteins

Formsproteinprimarystructure

FunctionalUnitMadefromGenes

Mostbiologicalfunctionsarefromproteins

CarriesGeneticInformation

Examples

Starch,Cellulose,Aldoses,Amylose

Of8Categories;phospholipidbilayer,feathers,

testosterone

The20aminoacids‐Glycine,Proline,etc.

Myoglobin,Enzymes,Hormones

Adenosine,Thymine,Cytosine,

Guanine,Uracil

Carbohydrates:

• Canexistindifferentforms(modelkitwillsaveyourbuttsforthis):

• MonosaccharidestoKnow D‐(+)‐Glucose D‐(‐)‐Ribose

• DisaccharidestoKnow

Maltose Lactose Sucrose

• PolysaccharidestoKnowo FormsofStarch:

Amylose Amylopectin

Lipids:

HowtoFindMe Function Types/Example Quirks

FattyAcidsCarboxylicAcidwithHydrocarbon

Chain

BuildingBlocksofOtherLipids

SaturatedandUnsaturated

EvennumberofCarbons

Waxes

UsuallyEstersformedfromFattyAcidandLong‐ChainAlcohol

Barriers BirdFeathers InsolubleinWater

Triacylglycerols Glycerol+3FattyAcids EnergyStorage FatsandOils Hydrophobic

andLipophilic

PhospholipidsGlycerol+2FattyAcids+Phosphate

Group

CellMembraneBilayer N/A

HydrophilicHeadsandHydrophobic

Tails

Prostaglandins ProstanoicAcidSkeleton

BiologicalSignalsandRegulators

Vasoconstrictor/Dialator

Upper(7C)andLower

(8C)Chains

Steroids 20Carbonsin4Rings Hormones Testosterone,

Estrogen

VarybyFunctionalGroup

LipophilicVitamins

Ruleoutallotherbiomoleculesand

lipids

Nutrients,Antioxidants VitaminsA,E,C

FunFact–Thereexistanti‐vitamins!

AminoAcids,Peptides,andProteins:

• AminoAcidsBuildingBlocksofPeptides

ClassifiedbasedonthecharacteristicsoftheirR(sidechain)groups.

–9havehydrophobic,nonacidicsidechains –2havehydrophobic,acidicsidechains

–4havehydrophilic,nonacidicsidechains–2havehydrophilic,acidicsidechains–3havehydrophilic,basicsidechains–CysteinehasaterminalS‐Hgroup

–GlycinehasanHatomastheRgroupandistheonlyachiralaminoacid Formpeptidesviapeptidebonds–akaprimaryproteinstructure

• PeptidesBuildingBlocksofProteins

– N‐terminus(fromNH3+/NH2)andC‐terminus(fromCOOH/COO‐)– Cancontributetopeptideconjugation–increasedbarriertorotation

• Proteins– Primarystructure–SkeletonofAminoAcids– SecondaryStructure–Folding:α‐helixorβ‐pleatedsheet– TertiaryStructure–SideChainOrientationandPosition– QuaternaryStructure–CombinationofSubunits

MyoglobinQuaternaryStructure‐noticethecoloredαhelices

NucleicAcids:

• Heterocyclicbasesbondedviahydrogenbonding• PrimaryStructureofNucleotides–arrangementofnucleotidescontainsgenetic

code• Translatesintoproteinform

WorksCitedImagesFrom:

• Life:TheScienceofBiology:NinthEditionTextbook• Wikipedia–www.wikipedia.com