Biological macromolecules are large, organic molecule such as carbohydrates, lipids, proteins,

and nucleic acids. Most of them are organic compounds and the functional group determines their
chemical properties. Biomolecules have a huge variety of functions, such as storing energy, protection,
etc. Now be ready with your journey to the different biomolecules, their structures, and functions found in
your food.
Terms and Definitions
Monosaccharide simplest form of carbohydrates
Monomera molecule that can react with other molecule to form very large molecules orpolymers
Peptide short chain of amino acid monomer link by peptide bonds.
Hormones special chemical messengers that are created in the endocrine gland
Amino acids organic compounds that combined to form proteins
Enzymes proteins which make the bio chemical reaction fast
Nucleotide made up of three components: nitrogen-containing base, five-carbon sugar, and a phosphate
group
Phospholipids contain glycerol, two-fatty acids, and a phosphate group
Biological Macromolecules
1. Carbohydrates
The word carbohydrate may be broken down to carbon and hydrate. Another term for
carbohydrate is saccharide. Carbohydrates are classified either as simple or complex. Simple sugars are
monosaccharide and disaccharides. Complex sugars are polysaccharides.
Carbohydrates are the primary energy source of the human body. The different saccharides that
humans eat are converted to glucose which can be readily used by the body. The excessive consumption
of carbohydrates is converted to glycogen which is stored in the liver and in muscles. Glycogen is a slow-
releasing carbohydrate
Monosaccharide (one saccharide)

Glucose used in dextrose, blood sugar; the form utilized by

the human body
Galactose found in milk and milk products

Fructose found in fruits and honey

Disaccharides (two saccharides)

 Maltose glucose + glucose found in malt

Sucrose glucose + fructose found in regular table sugar,

sugarcane, and sugar beet
Lactose glucose + galactose found in milk and milk products

Polysaccharides (many saccharides)

Starch/Amylose storage form of glucose in plants

Amylopectin storage form of glucose in plants

Glycogen storage form of glucose animal; stored in the liver

and muscles
Cellulose structural material in plants--cell wall in wood,
wood fiber cannot be digested by humans
Carbohydrates
They are made from carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
Monomer: saccharides
Examples: rice, cereal, potatoes, fruits, pastas
Function: main energy source of the body
2. Lipids or Fats
Lipids or fats are important nutrients in your body but eating too many especially unhealthy fats
such as saturated fats and trans fats can lead to heart disease, cancer, and obesity. Lipids also serve
other functions such as material for cell membrane, insulation to maintain body temperature, aid in
digestion, and as signal molecules.
There are different classifications of lipids: triglyceride, phospholipid, wax, and steroid. The
lipid family is one of the most varied in terms of structure but they share the common property of being
insoluble in water.
Fat and oil are the most common examples of lipids. They are under triglycerides because they
are composed of glycerol and three fatty acids.
Fat refers to solid triglyceride usually from animal sources such as meat, milk, butter, margarine,
eggs, and cheese. Oil refers to liquid triglycerides from plant sources. Examples are olive oil, corn oil,
sunflower oil, and soybean oil. Animal fats contain high percentages of saturated fatty acids while plant
oils are mostly unsaturated fatty acids.

Lipids
They are made from carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
They are soluble (dissolve) in oil but are insoluble (don't dissolve) in water.
Examples: fats and oils.
Function: long-term storage of energy in the body
Monomer: fatty acid
3. Proteins
Proteins are composed of four elements, namely: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Sulfur and other metals are sometimes also found in proteins. If carbohydrates are made up of
saccharides, proteins are made up of amino acids.
Examples of proteins and their functions are:
1. Keratin is a structural protein found in hair, skin, and nails.
2. Fibroin / Silk protein Fibroin is found in silk. Silk has a smooth and soft texture. It is one of the
strongest natural fibers that have high resistance to deformation. It is also a good insulating material.
3. Collagen is a major insoluble fibrous protein found in connective tissues such as tendons, ligaments,
skin, cartilage and the cornea of the eye. It comprises as much as 30% of proteins in animals.
4. Enzymes function to catalyze chemical reactions. They either speed up a reaction, lower the needed
energy for a reaction to take place, or bind substances to their specific partners.
Examples of enzymes
a. Lipase help in digestion of fats
b. Pepsin help in breaking down proteins into peptides (smaller units)
c. Sucrase starches also called invertase; help in the digestion of sugars and
5. Myoglobin is a polypeptide that stores oxygen in muscles. It contains a heme group which has an iron
where the oxygen is stored.
Proteins
They are made from carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen Proteins are made up of amino acids
combined through a dehydration link called a peptide bond.
Monomer: amino acid
Two classes:
1. Saturated fats have two carbons attached to each carbon (except the one at the end). Saturated fats are
unhealthy fats like butter.
2. Unsaturated fats are missing at least one hydrogen and are curl in shape. The unsaturated fats are
healthy, and include oils.
4. Nucleic Acids
Nucleic acids play an essential role in the storage, transfer, and expression of genetic
information. Nucleic acid was discovered by a 24-year-old Swiss physician named Friedrich Miescher in
1868. He was puzzled that an unknown substance in white blood cells did not resemble carbohydrates,
proteins, or lipids. He was able to isolate the substance from the nucleus and initially called it nuclein. He
eventually was able to break down nuclein into protein and nucleic acids. He found out that nucleic acids
contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
The most common examples of nucleic acids are DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA
(ribonucleic acid). DNA is a nucleic acid that carries the genetic code of organisms. It is fondly termed as
the blueprint of life. RNA, on another hand, carries the information from the DNA to the cellular factories
for the synthesis of proteins. If carbohydrates are composed of saccharide units, proteins of amino acids,
and lipids of fatty acids, nucleic acids are composed of nucleotides. Nucleic acids are also known as
polynucleotides.
Three parts of nucleotide:
1. Nitrogenous base
2. Five-carbon carbohydrate or sugar
3. Phosphate group
Nucleic Acids
They are made from carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
Monomer: nucleotide
Examples: DNA and RNA
Function: involves the genetic materials, Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) and Ribonucleic Acid (RNA).
DNA is the blueprint of life because it contains instructions on how to make proteins in the body.
Structures of the Different Biomolecules
Remember this mnemonic device of biomolecules: CHO CHO CHON CHONP
C stands for the element Carbon
H stands for the element Hydrogen
O stands for the element Oxygen
N stands for the element Nitrogen
P stands for the element Phosphorus

CHEMICAL EQUATION
Is the shorthand way of expressing chemical reaction using numbers, symbols and formula.
Two Major Parts:
REACTANTS
 The starting materials
 These are the substances that changes when it is combined with another substance in a chemical
reaction
PRODUCTS
 The new substance
 The substances that result of the chemical reaction
COEFFICIENT
 is a number before the symbol or formula of a substance
SUBSCRIPT
 is the number of atoms of the element found in the substance
Subscripts and Coefficients
•Subscript - shows how many atoms of an element are in a molecule.

 EX: H₂O
 2 atoms of hydrogen (H)
 1 atom of oxygen (O)
•Coefficient - shows how many molecules there are of a particular chemical.

 EX: 3 H₂O
 Means there are 3 water molecules.

Symbols Meaning

 used to separate one reactant or product from one another.

 can be read as "reacts with" when used in reactant, read as "and" when it
is used in product.

 used to separate the reactants from the products

 read as "yields" or "produces" in an equation.
During a chemical reaction, atoms cannot be created or destroyed, so the number of atoms at
the beginning of a reaction MUST equal the number at the end of the reaction!
This is called the Law of Conservation of Mass.
What if the number of atoms in the reactants does not match the number in the products?
The Law of Conservation of Mass says that the number of each atom must be equal on both sides
of the yield sign along with the masses. Let's balance the equation using some basic rules.
Basic Rules for Balanced Equations
Chemical formulas CANNOT be altered!
When balancing an equation, the subscript cannot be changed.
Coefficients can be added before an element or molecule.