Macromolecules

Carbohydrates are the macromolecules that provide energy to the body. They are broken down into glucose during digestion, which is then used by cells to produce energy through cellular respiration.

Degradation of macromolecules refers to the breakdown of large biological molecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates, into smaller components. This process is essential for recycling building blocks and providing energy for the cell. Degradation can occur through enzymatic reactions, such as proteolysis or glycolysis.

The three elements found in macromolecules are carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. These elements are essential building blocks for a wide variety of biological macromolecules including carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

Carbon is the element most associated with living things and is found in all four macromolecule types (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids). Carbon's versatility in forming covalent bonds allows for the vast diversity of organic compounds found in living organisms.

The four types of basic organic macromolecules are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Carbohydrates provide energy for the body. Lipids are necessary for storing energy and forming cell membranes. Proteins are essential for various functions in the body, including structure, enzymes, and signaling. Nucleic acids store and transmit genetic information.

Proteins: Ribosomes and endoplasmic reticulum. Carbohydrates: Golgi apparatus and cytoplasm. Lipids: Endoplasmic reticulum and cytoplasm. Nucleic acids: Nucleus and ribosomes.

The complementary DNA strand of the DNA sequence would be formed by replacing adenine (A) with thymine (T), thymine (T) with adenine (A), cytosine (C) with guanine (G), and guanine (G) with cytosine (C). For example, if the original DNA sequence is ACGT, the complementary DNA strand would be TGCA.

Reagents are specific chemicals used to test for the presence of particular macromolecules. For example, Benedict's reagent can detect reducing sugars like glucose by changing color when the sugar is present. Iodine solution can detect starch by turning blue-black in the presence of this polysaccharide. By using different reagents, we can identify the types of macromolecules present in a sample based on their specific chemical reactions.

If we are talking about viruses and their RNA genomes(eg:HIV), the negative strand DNA synthesis by reverse transcriptase occurs in the host cells, when the virus infects the host. And then, plus DNA formed by complementing this minus DNA.

Foods contain proteins, carbohydrates and lipids which are three different types of macromolecules.

However, there are far more than three types of macromolecules, some of which are also found in food.

There are two that begin to be digested in the mouth. Sugars by amylase and fats by lingual lipase.

There are four bases in a DNA "ladder"... It is called a ladder because of the "two sides" and the bases... In DNA replication, they obviously replicate and the two sides are replicated as are the bases. (A,T,C,G)

Fatty acids are composed of a hydrophilic carboxylic acid head and a hydrophobic hydrocarbon tail, while basic units in other macromolecules (such as amino acids in proteins, nucleotides in DNA/RNA, and monosaccharides in carbohydrates) have different functional groups and structures specific to their roles in each macromolecule. The differences in functional groups and structure give these basic units unique properties and functions within their respective macromolecules.

No, insulating organs of the body is not a function of protein macromolecules. Insulation of organs is typically provided by layers of fat tissue in the body. Proteins have diverse functions in the body such as enzymes, transporters, and structural components.

1. Phospholipids

Phospholipids are major components of the cell membrane. They are similar to fats, but have only two fatty acids rather than three. The third hydroxyl group of glycerol is joined to a phosphate group, which is negative in electrical charge. Additional small molecules, usually charged or polar, can be linked to the phosphate group to form a variety of phospholipids. Phospholipids are described as being amphipathic, having both a hydrophobic and a hydrophilic region. Their tails, which consist of hydrocarbons, are hydrophobic and are excluded from water. Their heads, however, which consist of the phosphate group and its attachments, are hydrophilic, and have an affinity for water.

Because of their structure, when phospholipids are added to water, they self-assemble into aggregates so that the phosphate heads make contact with the water and the hydrophobic hydrocarbon tails are restricted to water-free areas. In the animation below you will see the formation of two such structures: micelle and the phospholipid bilayer.

2. Proteins

Proteins are the most structurally sophisticated molecules known, and account for more than 50% of the dry weight of most cells. Although they are diverse, humans have tens of thousands of different proteins, each with a specific structure and function. they are all polymers constructed from the same set of 20 amino acids. Membrane proteins are classified into two major categories;

a)Integral proteins

b) Peripheral proteins

Integral proteins are generally transmembrane proteins, with hydrophobic regions that completely span the hydrophobic interior of the membrane. The hydrophilic ends of the molecule are exposed to the aqueous solutions on either side of the membrane. Proteins are much larger than lipids and move more slowly, but some do drift. Some membrane proteins seem to move in a highly directed manner, however, many others seem to be held virtually immobile by their attachment to the cytoskeleton.Peripheral proteins are not embedded in the lipid bilayer at all; they are loosely bound to the surface of the membrane, often to the exposed parts of integral proteins.

3. Carbohydrates

Membrane carbohydrates are usually branched oligosaccharides with fewer than 15 sugar units. Some of these oligosaccharides are covalently bonded to lipids, forming molecules called glycolipids. Most are covalently bonded to proteins, which are thereby glycoproteins. The oligosaccharides on the external side of the plasma membrane vary from species to species, among individuals of the same species, and even from one cell type to another in a single individual. The diversity of the molecules and their location on the cell's surface enable oligosaccharides to function as markers that distinguish one cell from another

triglycerides

After macromolecules are broken down in the digestive process, their constituent molecules are absorbed into the bloodstream and used by the body for various functions. Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose for energy, proteins are broken down into amino acids for building and repairing tissues, and lipids are broken down into fatty acids for energy storage and cell membrane synthesis.

ATP, or adenosine triphosphate, belongs to the major class of macromolecules known as nucleic acids. It is a nucleotide composed of adenine (a nitrogenous base), ribose (a sugar), and three phosphate groups.

A polypeptide chain is a type of macromolecule known as a protein. Proteins are made up of one or more long chains of amino acids, which are linked together through peptide bonds to form polypeptides. These polypeptides then fold into specific 3D shapes to carry out various biological functions.

The three organic macromolecules often utilized to make ATP by cellular respiration are carbohydrates (like glucose), fats (fatty acids), and proteins (amino acids). These macromolecules are broken down through various metabolic pathways to produce ATP, the energy currency of the cell.

Transporting other molecules in the body.

Carbohydrates, for example polysaccharides, like cellulose in cell walls Proteins, made from aminoacids, constituents of hormones and enzymes Polynucleotides, constituents of DNA and RNA which are nucleic acids Lipids, composed of fatty acids and glycerol