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Chapter 5—The Structure and
Function of Macromolecules
C, L, P, N—4 ―BIG‖ Things You
Oughta Know About
I. Polymer Principles
• Most macromolecules are polymers
– Carbohydrates, proteins, & nucleic acids
• Polymer—
– Long molecule made up of similar or identical
building blocks covalently bonded together
• Monomer—
– Subunit/building block of a polymer
Synthesis & Breakdown of Polymers
Condensation reaction
(dehydration)—two monomers
are connected and water is lost
Monomers are added one by
one
Requires energy & enzymes
Hydrolysis—reverse of the
dehydration reaction, water is
added to break up monomers
How does this apply to
digestion?
II. Carbohydrates—Fuel & Building
Material
Monosaccharides
Molecular formula =
(CH2O)n
3 to 7 C atoms long
Functional groups =
hydroxyl & carbonyl
Form rings in
aqueous solutions
Serve as fuel
(respiration) and as
carbon sources for
building other
molecules
Glucose
Disaccharides
Storage Polysaccharides
Polysaccharides:
Polymers with
100s
to 1,000s of
monosaccharides
joined by
glycosidic
linkages
i.e. starch &
glycogen
Serve as storage
material (can be
broken down and
used as an
energy source)
Polysaccharides
Function is determined by:
1.) type of monomer
2.) positions of glycosidic
linkages
Starch:
1-4 α glucose linkages
Cellulose:
1-4 β glucose linkages
Structural Polysaccharides
Serve a structural
role (cell walls of
plants)
Cellulose
Structural Polysaccharides
Chitin—used to build
exoskeletons of arthropods
Like cellulose, except
monomer contains nitrogen
appendage
III. Lipids—‖We hate H2O!‖
Not a true polymer, but
building blocks include
glycerol and fatty acids
Nonpolar C—H bonds of the
fatty acid chains make them
hydrophobic
Fatty acids vary in:
1.) length
2.) # & location of double
bonds
Saturated vs. Unsaturated Lipids
Saturated =
No double
bonds,
straight, solid
at room temp.
Unsaturated =
Presence of
double bonds,
bent, liquid at
room temp. Main Function = compact form of energy storage (2x as
many calories per gram as carbs)
Also used for membranes, steroids, hormones
Phospholipids—in Cell Membranes
Steroids—such as Cholesterol
Component of animal cell membranes
Precursor for building other steroids/hormones
IV. Proteins—Many Structures,
Many Functions
Protein Facts
• Proteins:
– the most structurally sophisticated molecules
known
– > 50% of dry weight of most cells
– each has a unique 3-D structure
Amino Acids
20 different amino acids make up proteins
Components of an amino acid:
• amino group
• carboxyl group
• hydrogen atom
• variable R group/side chain (all around a central carbon atom)
Amino Acids are grouped
according to side chains/R groups
Nonpolar, polar, and electrically charged (acidic & basic)
Polypeptide– a polymer of
amino acids linked by
peptide bonds
Peptide bond connects
carboxyl group of one A.A.
to the amino group of
another A.A.
What type of reaction forms
polypeptides?
Polypeptide →
twist, fold, coil into
unique shape →
Protein
(Long piece of yarn → Sweater)
Lysozyme
4 Levels of Protein Structure
• Primary Structure—
– Unique sequence of amino acids in a
polypeptide
• Secondary Structure—
• Tertiary Structure—
• Quaternary Structure—
Small changes in primary structure
can have serious consequences
i.e. Hemoglobin protein and sickle cell disease
Secondary Structure
Secondary
Structure—
repetitive coiling
or folding in
protein backbone
due to hydrogen
bonds
Examples:
- Alpha helix
- Beta pleated sheet
Tertiary Structure
Tertiary Structure—
Overall shape of a
polypeptide due to
interactions between
side chains
(hydrophobic
interactions, ionic
bonds, hydrogen
bonds, and disulfide
bridges)
Quaternary Structure
Quaternary
Structure—
Two or more
polypeptide
subunits associate
to form a
functional protein
Let‘s Review…
Exposure to heat or chemical
treatments
(Nonfunctional in this state)
Chaperonins—protein folding
‗chaperones‘
X-ray crystallography is used to
determine 3-D protein structures
Information Flow in a Cell
DNA → RNA → Protein → Trait
Nucleic Acids allow
reproduction of complex
organisms from generation
to generation
DNA = Software
Proteins = Hardware
V. Nucleic Acids—polymers of
nucleotides
Gene = specific
nucleotide sequence
(100s → 1,000s long)
The sequence of the 4
nitrogen bases gives
each gene its ―meaning‖
(i.e. Protein
sequence/structure)
Two strands of double
helix are
complementary due to
base pairing (copying
allows for inheritance)
DNA & Proteins = ―tape measures‖ of
evolution
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