Macromolecules Research Paper

Isabella Ompok

Ms. Murad

Honors Biology

8 September 2015

Getting to Know Macromolecules

Macromolecules are large molecules that are made up of many smaller molecules and can be found in living things. They are formed through polymerization. Polymerization occurs when smaller molecules (monomers) join together to create larger molecules (polymers). Macromolecules are sorted by their chemical composition into the groups: carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids and proteins all of which are essential for living things to. The carbohydrates and lipids are needed for energy. But, carbohydrates are the main source of energy for living things, while, lipids mainly stores the energy. Proteins are used to build and maintain bones including muscle and

skin. Lastly nucleic acids store and transmit hereditary (genetic) information. All of these functions are needed for humans and other living things to live.

Lipids: Lipids mostly contains carbon and hydrogen atoms.

It can be categorized as fats, oils, or waxes. Lipids can give energy but its function is to mainly stores energy (in adipose cells). Other functions of lipids are to help the body absorb vitamins. It can also be an important part of biological membranes. It also serves as a chemical messenger in the body like hormones. There are many more things lipids can do. Such as, provide warmth for the body, protect the body, maintain vision and support the immune system. Lipids are formed when a glycerol molecule combines with the carbon in fatty acids. The carbon atoms in the acids combines with another carbon atom making the lipid saturated which means the fatty acid contains the maximum amount of hydrogen atoms. For a fatty acid to be unsaturated there is only one carbon double bond. Also, if a lipid contains a fatty acid that has more than one double bond, it is polyunsaturated which can be seen on various food labels. Foods containing lipids are different oils like (olive oil, canola oil, soybean etc.) nuts, fatty fruits (avocado), certain fish (tuna, salmon, sardines, herring, anchovies, mackerel) and egg

yolks.
Protein: Proteins contain nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms and is made up of the monomers, amino acids that are linked together. Each protein has a different number and set up of amino acids. Essential amino acids can be obtained through foods you eat while non-essential amino acids can’t be obtained through foods and are made by other proteins. Children and adults have different amino acids that are considered essential for them; adults have eight essential amino acids while children have nine. The foods that you can eat to obtain essential amino acids are meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, cheese and yogurt, plants, legumes, grains, nuts, seeds and vegetables. After eating, proteins are broken down into amino acids (through digestion) and are absorbed to make more proteins. Protein also has many functions that many people already know of. These functions are growth and repair of bones, muscles and skin, good functioning and structure of living cells, transporting substances from different cells, also to control and “supervise” cell processes control of blood sugar levels, digestion of foods, to fight infections, and muscle contraction.

Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. It is the main source of energy for living things and is needed for normal brain function. For some animals and most plants, they use a certain carbohydrate called cellulose for structural purposes to make them strong and rigid. Carbohydrates are provided through grains, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. In these foods, there are different types of molecules. Monosaccharides are single sugar molecules such as glucose, galactose and fructose. Disaccharides are two simple sugars combined together such as sucrose also known as table sugar. Polysaccharides are large molecules formed by more than two monosaccharides. An example of a polysaccharide is starch. The food in the body is broken down into sugars to supply immediate energy. But, starches take longer to be broken down then simple sugars. Once starches are digested, saliva breaks them down into simple carbohydrates. Then, those simple carbohydrates go to the small intestine and the enzymes break them down into glucose. Afterwards, the glucose is absorbed into the bloodstream. Some of the glucose is used right away for instant energy while the remaining glucose is stored in the liver and muscles for when it is needed. The stored glucose is called glycogen. The glycogen in the muscles can be used to provide energy for movement. When glucose is needed, and is low in the bloodstream and there isn't any that can be used right away, glycogen is broken back down into glucose to be used by cells for various activities. The storing of extra glucose or sugar also occurs in animals.
Nucleic Acids: Nucleic acids contain hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon and phosphorus atoms.

It is a polymer and is made of the monomers called nucleotides. The nucleotides or the monomers join together in a covalent bond to form nucleic acids. Specifically, there are different types of nucleotides that from nucleic acids: C (cytosine), A (adenine), G (guanine), T (thymine) and U (uracil). The different types of nucleic acids are ribonucleic acid (RNA) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). DNA is made up of two strands of cytosine, adenine, guanine and thymine in a double helix pattern while RNA is a single strand of cytosine, adenine, guanine and uracil. These two nucleic acids are found in cells and the cell’s nucleus. In the body, nucleic acids play many important roles like capturing and transferring chemical energy. One of the most important nucleic acids has are storing and transmitting hereditary/genetic information from parent to their children. DNA mainly stores all genetic information of cells but some RNA stores information in viruses. DNA stores information on what cells should do such as its life cycle. RNA does things like extracting information from DNA for many different functions and can also regulate what some genes do. But, RNA mainly transfers the information. The different types of RNA transfer information to different places of the cell. One type, mRNA transfers information from the nucleus to the cytoplasm while tRNA transports information from amino acids

to ribosomes to make certain proteins. Both of these nucleic acids are definitely essential for life.