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Grad Prep Biology Biomolecules Review
Living things, or organisms such as plants and animals, are made of uncountable numbers of molecules. But one thing
they all have in common is they contain carbon atoms. Life on earth is based on carbon compounds that we call biomolecules.
Biomolecules are macromolecules or “giant molecules.” They are giant because they are polymers made of hundreds or even
thousands of smaller molecules, monomers. It would be difficult to study the millions of biomolecules if we didn’t separate them
into groups. Four of the major kinds of biomolecules are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids.
Carbohydrates are biomolecules made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms, usually in a ratio of 1:2:1. For example
C6H1206 is a carbohydrate called glucose. You will notice that carbohydrates names commonly end in -ose. The two major
functions carried out by carbohydrates are that they are used as the main source of energy in organisms, and they are used for
structural purposes. If you didn’t already know, carbohydrates are sugar or starch. Simple sugars made of one carbohydrate are
called monosaccharides. Complex sugars (starch) made of many carbohydrates are polysaccharides.
Lipids are a large group of biomolecules that generally are not soluble in water. That means they will not dissolve (mix).
Lipids are large biomolecules composed of a glycerol and two or more fatty acid chains made of many carbon and hydrogen
atoms. Lipids are commonly fats, oils and waxes. Lipids are used to store energy and are an important part of the cell membrane
and other waterproof coverings. Because lipids contain many more carbon to hydrogen bonds, compared to carbohydrates, they
contain more energy. But, because it’s difficult for organisms to break all those bonds to release energy they are not used as a
main source of energy. Proteins are biomolecules that contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. Proteins are polymers of
molecules called amino acids. There are only 20 different amino acids on earth. But, the structure of the amino acids allows them
to be joined together in infinite combinations. Therefore proteins can be made of any number of amino acids to create proteins of
infinite sizes and shapes. Proteins are the functional portions of living things and are different in each type of organism. They
function to control the rate of chemical reactions, regulate cell processes, and form structural components like bone and muscle,
and transport substances into or out of cell.
Nucleic acids are biomolecules that are made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorus. They are polymers
of smaller molecules called nucleotides. Each nucleotide is made of a sugar, a phosphate and a nitrogen molecule called a
nitrogen base. Later you will learn how these nitrogen bases are used to assemble the many possible proteins in organisms.
Nucleic acids store and transmit hereditary, or genetic, information. This is information passed from one generation of organisms
to the next and is used to produce the necessary molecules needed for the new generation to grow and survive. There are two types
of nucleic acids ribonucleic acid (RNA) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).
Part A. Classify each as a carbohydrate, protein, lipid or nucleic acid.
1.
starch
10.
enzymes
2.
sugar
11.
phospholipid
3.
pasta
12.
glycerol
4.
glucose
13.
monosaccharide
5.
nucleotide
14.
triglyceride
6.
DNA
15.
amino acid
7.
amino acid chain
16.
enzyme
8.
steak
17.
saturated fat
9.
unsaturated fatty acid
18.
RNA
Part B. Identify the specific molecule (carbohydrate, lipid, nucleic acid, protein) from each description. Terms may be used more
than once.
17.
provides long-term energy storage for animals
18.
instructions for building proteins
19.
provides immediate energy
20.
hormones controlling reproduction
21.
provides short-term energy storage for plants
22.
animal and plant structures
23.
forms the cell membrane of all cells
24.
speeds up chemical reactions by lowering activation energy
25.
sugars such as glucose
26.
cells convert this into ATP for immediate energy
27.
monomer is amino acids
28.
provides long-term energy storage for plants
29.
genetic material
30.
controls the rate of chemical reactions
31.
oil used for cooking
32.
provides short-term energy storage for animals
33.
made of monosaccarides
34.
monomer of nucleic acids
35.
forms the muscles of your body
Part C. Which specific biomolecule (lipid, protein, nucleic acid, carbohydrate) is each food mostly made of?
36.
almond
44.
celery
37.
spinach
45.
soy beans
38.
beef jerky
46.
cranberries
39.
bacon
47.
egg white
40.
noodles
48.
table sugar
41.
orange juice
49.
popcorn
42.
cheese
50.
lobster
43.
wheat
51.
sesame oil
Part D. Which food molecule (carbohydrate, lipid, protein) would you eat if…
52. …you needed a quick boost of energy?
53. …you wanted to grow strong nails?
54. …you haven’t eaten in days?
55. …you wanted to grow healthy hair?
56. …you had a race tomorrow afternoon?
57. …you were getting ready for hibernation?
58. …you wanted to get bigger muscles?
59. …your next meal will be in a week?