Macromolecules

By: Trevor Lopkoff

1. What is a Macromolecule???

    A macromlecule is a very complex molecule that is usually very large. Macromolecules are an entire class of molecules, that consist of Nucleic Acids, Proteins, Carbohydrates, and Lipids. Each of these have their own duties and perform their own functions. But at the same time, each of these macromolecules is also a polymer. And each polymer is made up of a bunch of small particals called monomers! 

2. What is a Monomer??

    A Monomer is basically what the name says it is! The prefix "mono" means single or one. And these single particals stick together to form a polymer. The "poly" prefix meaning many. So monomers are basically building blocks. Building blocks that form polymers, when a monomers form to creat a polymer that is known as synthesis o condensation. And when those polymers stick together they form a macromolecule! So its all basically one huge chain that all starts with a monomer. That is why they are often refered to "Building Blocks". 

3. What is a Polymer??

    I have told you what a Macrmolecule is, and what a Monomer is...But what about the middle step in the chain? A Polymer is the second step in constructing a Macromolecule. When you take a Monomer, (single particle) and stick it with 2 or more other Monomers, you get a Polymer! This is easy to remember because the prefix "poly" literally means many. So when you get many single particles together, you form a polymer! Easy right?? But Polymers aren't the biggest form you can get by any means. When you combine many Polymers together you get our large structure of a Macromolecule!

4. List the 4 main types of macromolecules

 The 4 main types of Macromolecules are:  • nucleic acids

 • proteins

 • carbohydrates

 • lipids

Nucleic Acids

        ever heard of DNA, and RNA??? yea those are nucleic acids!! Deoxyribose Nucleic Acids (DNA's) are basically huge polymers that stre a ton of information! We use DNA to look at how we became to be us! DNA can be used to show history of someone, and how that person came to be the way they are! RNA (Ribose Nucleic Acid) is used for transmiting all the information in DNA to Protein synthesis so the body can creat protein or itself! 

Proteins

            Everyone knows proteins right? They are those things that are really healthy for you and they help build muscle. But do you know how much stuff actually has protein in it? Protein is everywhere!! A lot of what you eat is full of protein! A lot of what proteins do is act like enzymes, and they are catalysts in many reactions in an experiment. That’s why they say protein helps build muscle. Because when you eat or drink something with lots of protein in it, then go work out, the protein acts like a catalyst and makes the reactions in your muscles go faster! Makes a lot more sense right? Proteins do a lot more for you though, three other things protein does are transport substances inside cells, self defense, and structure! Another thing about proteins is that there is no different way to make protein; it all is made the same way!

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates, (commonly known as carbs) are fairly easy to remember their chemical makeup. Carb is the carbon O for oxygen, and Hydrate for the hydrogen. That’s the easiest way I remember anyway. Carbohydrates have many uses! A lot of what carbs are used for though is energy storage; they are also used for signaling, structure, and production! The way a Carbohydrate is formed is slightly different from the other Macromolecules. The basic building block is a monosaccharide, and when these monosaccharide’s are linked together by a covalent bond you get a Disaccharide. These bad boys are 2 monosaccharide’s put together. But it’s not done there! When you connect two disaccharides together you get a polysaccharide. A polysaccharide is what makes a carbohydrate!

Lipids

 Lipids are the different branch of monosaccharides. They are like the one kid out on the playground who is just different. They play a different role in the cell. There are these things called phospholipids, these different types of lipids are needed in the cell membrane. The other types of lipids are used for mainly signaling molecules, and storing energy. Sometimes you might even find them in your skin pigments! One thing that also separates lipids from everything else is that they are hydrophobic, meaning that they to not react with water.

5. What are the types of reactions Macromolecules go through?

A reaction that macromolecules are shown to undergo is a hydrolysis reaction. In this reaction water molecules are added and the hyrolase enzymes cut apart the monomers. Doing this splits apart the polymers. Another reaction macromolecules go through is dehydration synthesis, (or sometimes known as a condensation reaction). This happens when two monomers come together and the dehydration synthesis makes a covalent bond that connects the two monomers. While the covalent bond is forming there are some leftovers. There are 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom left….guess what that makes! Water! So after the covalent bond is formed you get a water molecule formed aswell.   

6. How are monomers joined together?

Monomers are joined together by a dehydration synthesis (or condensation reaction) this is when two monomers are near each other and a covalent bond is formed between the two connecting them. But while this is happening 2 hydrogen atoms and an oxygen atom are leftover. This creates a water molecule! That is why some people call it a condensation reaction rather than a dehydration synthesis.

7. How are polymers broken down?

        Polymers are broken down by a hydrolyses reaction. In this reaction water molecules are added and with the aid of a hyrolase enzyme, it cuts apart the bonds on the monomers. Doing this splits apart the polymers.

8. What is the specific name for the bond between 2 simple sugar monomers?

   The bond between 2 simple sugar monomersis called a Covalent Bond

9. Which kind of enzyme joins monomers togeher?

    The type of enzyme that joins enzymes together is a Polymerase Enzyme

10. Describe how you had to arrange the sugar monomers to make a polysaccharide

To build a polysaccharide all I had to do is take the sugar monomer and put it in the box so that the O and H were together. I did that 3+ times and that created a polysaccharide!

11. Which building blocks of macromoleculs are not used in building carbohydrates?

The building blocks of Macromolecules that aren’t used in building a carbohydrate are fatty acids, amino acids, and finally nucleotide.

12. why is sugar stored as glycogen in the human body?

It is all because of the liver. The livers main goal is to keep the blood sugar level normal. And to do this, it either absorbs or releases sugar into the blood stream. So by storing some sugar as glycogen, even if the food you eat doesn’t give enough sugar your liver will still have enough to keep blood sugar at normal!

13. Why are plant foods ecential to animal life?

Plant foods are essential to animal life simply because plants make what we need! They make sugar and other nutrients that we need to survive! All the energy we use is basically coming all from plants. All the energy stored in plants gets eaten by us giving us all the energy the plant had!   

14. How is startch digested by animals?

Well, like everything you digest, it starts in the mouth when you chew it up your salivary amylase begins to break it down. Then down it goes through the stomach into the small intestine, here the pancreatic amylase breaks it down even farther. Then the complicated part happens. Alphadextrin, maltotriose, and maltose (all of which are small chains of glucose) get broken down by glucoamylase. They all get broken down into single glucose molecules, and then they get absorbed by the body.     

15. What is fiber and why is it so important to your diet?

In our body, there are many Carbohydrates that we cannot digest and just pass through as solid fiber. This type of fiber is helpful for us in two ways. The first way is that they absorb the toxins of other foods that our body doesn’t need. The second reason it is helpful is that it helps keep all our food and our digestion process going!     

16. What causes you to pass gas (fart) acording to this article?

        You can thank your colon for this one! Passing gas (farting) is all your colon. You see, many starches enter the colon undigested. They then become fermented and become carbohydrates. You can have two types of gas. Odorless gas of that dreaded smelly gas no one likes to get. The odorless gasses are methane, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. The gasses that have an odor are caused by putrefaction of undigested protein.

17. What are some disadvantages of a low carb diet?

Low carb diets may seem like they are working better for you because after 6 months, yes you have lost more weight… but after a full year, you would have lost the same amount of weight if you weren’t on a low carb diet. And plus, you take a major toll on your overall health! So really a low carb diet is N.O.T the way to go if you risk your health!     

18. Describe the role sugars play in the forming of cavities on your teeth

        Cavities…eewww!! I say eewww because cavities mean bacteria! And in your mouth, there are bacteria that thrive off of carbs. So when you eat sugar with all those carbs in them, those bacteria have a feast on those carbs and turn into acid! (bacteria) and they start to demolish your teeth.

THANK YOU!!!!