There are four classes of biological macromolecules: proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids. Carbohydrates include simple sugars like glucose and complex polysaccharides like starch, cellulose, and glycogen. Lipids function to store energy, insulate the body, and act as structural components of cell membranes. Proteins make up structures like hair, skin, and nails and perform functions as enzymes, antibodies, and hormones. Nucleic acids DNA and RNA contain genetic information and aid in protein synthesis, with DNA in the nucleus and RNA transcribing DNA before proteins are assembled from amino acids.

1. Biological
Macromolecules

2. They’re Organic!!!

3. What’s an organic molecule??
•Compounds made up of hydrocarbons
•Carbon and Hydrogen atoms!!
•Living/once living (YOU are Organic!)
•(Not CO2. It’s a gas!!!!!)

4. There are four classes of biological
macromolecules we will be looking at:
Proteins
Lipids
Carbohydrates
Nucleic acids (This will be last)
First – Let’s
Concentrate
on these
three!

6. A very, very large
molecule!!

7. Biological
Macromolecule
All biological macro-molecule are
organic, meaning they all contain
hydrocarbons…Carbon atoms (with
attached Hydrogens!) Other elements
may include Oxygen, Nitrogen,
Phosphorus and Sulfur

8. Macromolecules 
We’re looking at

11. “Mono” means one
SO… a polymer is made
up of many monomers!!

12. Polymer Analogies
EXAMPLE of
POLYMER
MONOMER
Ladder ?
String of Pearls Necklace ?

13. Answers
EXAMPLE of
POLYMER
MONOMER
Ladder Each Rung
Necklace Each Pearl

14. Can you think of a polymer??
What monomers make it up??

15. ALL four can be found in
food!!
Think about it!!

16. Look at the label to the left. 3
of the 4 macromolecules are
labeled!!
1____________________
2____________________
3____________________
(0 grams in this product)
(13 grams in this product)
(9 grams in this product)

17. On to Our First Biomolecule!!
Carbohydrates!!

18. Carbohydrates
C, H, O

19. SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES
They are the main source of energy for the body !
Simple sugars Monosaccharide
Glucose, for example (Yes it IS a monomer!!), is the main
product of photosynthesis!!
C6H12O6 Atoms: C, H, O

20. COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES
Long-term storage for energy
Polysaccharides  made up of glucose polymers
Below is a part of the polymer starch!!

21. Starch Continued
Found in: Grains (wheat, rice, corn, oats, barley) Tubers such
as potatoes are rich in starch.

22. Cellulose
** ALSO a glucose
polymer
**Offers the plant
support
** Energy storage
** Makes up cell wall
** Food source for
seeds and plant bulbs

23. Glycogen in Animals
**A branched
polymer made up of
numerous glucose
monomers
**Long-term energy
storage found in the
liver
** Quickly broken
down into glucose
for immediate

24. Complex Carbs and Energy
•Starches, Cellulose and Glycogen are broken
down by proteins called enzymes (remember
digestion in lysosomes!!??.....similar concept!)
•Broken down into their monomers  Glucose
•Glucose is further broken down during cellular
respiration in the mitochondria for energy
•About 36 ATP molecules of energy per each
glucose molecule!!!

25. Lipids
Mostly C,H and some O

26. STORED ENERGY  Broken down for energy
They INSULATE the body to help maintain normal body
temperature and they
CUSHION the internal organs for protection.
Include waxes, Oils
include steroids such as cholesterol and the sex
hormones estrogen and testosterone
Anabolic steroids build muscle
They waterproof surfaces of animals, plants, and fruits-
these are waxes!
THINK: Waterproof, insulate, steroids, energy, cushion…

27. Remember the cell membrane?
 PhosphoLIPID bilayer of the cell membrane? The
fatty acid tails are lipids!
 It’s semi-permeable, allowing only certain
molecules to diffuse across the membrane to
enter or exit the cell.

28. LIPIDS

29. Fat Made up of fatty acid monomers – Glycerides
that have a Glycerol Backbone (Circled) and a Fatty
Acid Tail(s)
Mostly C, H with some O

30. Triglycerides
Glycerol Group with 3 Fatty Acid Chains
This is a triglyceride molecule

31. NOW ONTO PROTEINS
They are the major structural molecules in living things for
growth and repair : muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones, hair,
skin, nails…IN FACT ALL CELL MEMBRANES have protein in
them
They make up antibodies in the immune system
They make up enzymes for helping chemical reactions
They makeup non-steriod hormones which
THINK: Proteins= membranes, enzymes, antibodies, non-
steriod hormones, structural molecules, “MEANS”

32. Proteins
Made up of Mostly C, H, O and
N (Some Sulfur)

33. Proteins

34. Proteins
Aside from the protein found in
animal sources…protein can also
be found in fruits, vegetables,
grains, and nuts. (it just does not have as many amino
acids)

35. Hair, Skin, and Nails

36. Microscope View of
Skin and Nails
This is skin This is a nail

37. Made up of Amino Acid Monomers!!!
**Remember protein synthesis???? Transcription and
translation?
**A peptide bond bonds amino acids together
**Creates a polypeptide

38. The shapes of Proteins Determines
it’s Function
Amino
Acids !!!

39. Ribosomes are Proteins that are
Involved in Creating Proteins!!

40. Insulin
• Chemical signaler protein produced in the pancreas
• Causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up
glucose from blood and convert it to glycogen that can be stored
in the liver and muscles
• Diabetes is a condition when a person has high blood glucose (blood
sugar), either because insulin production is inadequate, or because the
body's cells do not respond properly to insulin, or both.

41. Hemoglobin
•A protein in red blood cells that carries
oxygen

42. **Antibodies are part of the immune system.
**When something enters the body that isn’t supposed to be there,
like certain bacteria, antibodies find the invader and stick themselves
onto it.
**White Blood cells destroy the invaders (hopefully)

43. Enzymes
•Speed up the rate of a chemical reaction (a catalyst) by
lowering the energy needed to begin the reaction (Below)
•Re-usable
•Molecule specific – like a lock and key
• -Example: ONLY Lactase will break down lactose. It
will NEVER break down proteins

44. Enzymes Lock and Key Model
Substrate
Product
s

45. Lactase
breaks down
lactose
sugar
Enzymes
• Folded specific to its function…like a lock and key model!
Pepsin
breaks
down
proteins
Amylase
breaks
down
amylose

46. Active
Site
Specific Enzyme
Starch
***** Remember That Enzymes are
substrate-specific !!!!!
Simple useable
sugars (product)
Protein
Lipid
Which substrate can be reduced by the enzyme?

47. Enzymes are affected by:

48. RateofReaction
pH Affects Enzyme Reactivity
1 3 42 5 6 7 8 9
pH
This enzyme functions in an environment
that has a pH of about 4, which is acidic

50. The 4th type is
NUCLEIC ACIDS
The types of Nucleic Acids
•DNA (DeoxyriboNucleic Acid)
•RNA (RiboNucleic Acid)

51. **Monomers are called Nucleotides

52. “DNA” is short for
Deoxyribonucleic Acid
**Your genetic makeup!!

54. “
‘’RNA” is short for
Ribonucleic Acid
**Works with DNA to
create proteins

56. RNA DNA
 Single-
Stranded
 Nitrogen
bases
Adenine (A),
Cytosine (C),
Guanine (G),
Uracil (U)
 Remember NO
Thymine (T)
 Ribose sugar
 Double-
Stranded
double helix
 Nitrogen
bases
Adenine (A),
Cytosine (C),
Guanine (G),
Thymine (T)
 Remember
NO Uracil (U)
 Deoxy-ribose
sugar

57. Remember How DNA and RNA Molecules are Involved in
Protein Synthesis?? Transcription and Translation?
*DNA
*mRNA
*At ribosome
*tRNA Brings in Amino
Acids
*Amino Acids form the
protein (a polypeptide)