This chapter presents the following content: Macromolecules are polymers, built from monomers; Carbohydrates serve as fuel and building material; Lipids are a diverse group of hydrophobic molecules. | The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules Chapter 5 Overview: The Molecules of Life All living things are made up of four classes of large biological molecules: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids Macromolecules are large molecules composed of thousands of covalently connected atoms Molecular structure and function are inseparable © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Concept : Macromolecules are polymers, built from monomers A polymer is a long molecule consisting of many similar building blocks These small building-block molecules are called monomers Three of the four classes of life’s organic molecules are polymers Carbohydrates Proteins Nucleic acids © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. A dehydration reaction occurs when two monomers bond together through the loss of a water molecule Polymers are disassembled to monomers by hydrolysis, a reaction that is essentially the reverse of the dehydration reaction The Synthesis and Breakdown of Polymers © . | The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules Chapter 5 Overview: The Molecules of Life All living things are made up of four classes of large biological molecules: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids Macromolecules are large molecules composed of thousands of covalently connected atoms Molecular structure and function are inseparable © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Concept : Macromolecules are polymers, built from monomers A polymer is a long molecule consisting of many similar building blocks These small building-block molecules are called monomers Three of the four classes of life’s organic molecules are polymers Carbohydrates Proteins Nucleic acids © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. A dehydration reaction occurs when two monomers bond together through the loss of a water molecule Polymers are disassembled to monomers by hydrolysis, a reaction that is essentially the reverse of the dehydration reaction The Synthesis and Breakdown of Polymers © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Figure (a) Dehydration reaction: synthesizing a polymer Short polymer Unlinked monomer Dehydration removes a water molecule, forming a new bond. Longer polymer 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 Figure The synthesis and breakdown of polymers. Figure (b) Hydrolysis: breaking down a polymer Hydrolysis adds a water molecule, breaking a bond. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 Figure The synthesis and breakdown of polymers. The Diversity of Polymers Each cell has thousands of different macromolecules Macromolecules vary among cells of an organism, vary more within a species, and vary even more between species An immense variety of polymers can be built from a small set of monomers HO © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Concept : Carbohydrates serve as fuel and building material Carbohydrates include sugars and the polymers of sugars The simplest carbohydrates are monosaccharides, or single sugars Carbohydrate macromolecules are polysaccharides, polymers composed of many .
