2.5 KiB
2.5 KiB
biology macromolecules are essentially very large molecules
macromolecules consist of smaller subunits, called monomers, when you have a bunch of monomers together it's called a polymer
these 4 types of macromolecules are pretty important in ap bio:
| Type | Monomer Name | Polymer Name | Primary Cellular Function | CHNOPS Generally Present |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrate | Monosaccharide | Polysaccharide | Quick energy | C, H, O |
| Lipid | No single name, examples include Fatty Acids and Glycerol | No single name, examples include triglycerides and phospholipids | Cell membrane bilayer, cell signaling, long-term energy storage (fat) | C, H, O |
| Protein | Amino acid | Polypeptide | Various functions | C, H, O, N, S |
| Nucleic Acid | Nucleotide | DNA / RNA | Store and transmit genetic information | C, H, O, N, P |
| macromolecules are allegedly hard to understand, apparently theyre kind of like a train and it's carriages |
!
monomers break from each other using hydrolysis, where a water atom forces its way in a breaks off into a hydrogen atom and a hydroxide. It's derived from greek, with hydro meaning water and lysis to break
!
monomers connect to each other using dehydration synthesis, where the hydrogen and hydroxide at the ends of monomers bind to form a water molecule which is removed after, reforming the bond.