Macromolecules

• A Macromolecule is a large molecule that is made

up of hundreds or thousands of smaller units of
molecules and elements combined together called
“Monomers”.

• Macromolecule is sometimes called a “Polymer”.

• Macromolecules help the cells to remain alive and

functioning properly in our body.

• Each Macromolecule is unique.

 OTHER FACTS:
• A polymer is made of similar or identical monomers.

• A monomer is a smaller molecule.

Example structure:
4 Main Types of Macromolecules
• Carbohydrates
• Lipids
• Proteins
• Nucleic Acids
Carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates is composed of 3 elements;

Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen.

• Carbohydrates are called carbohydrates

because the carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
they contain are usually in the proportion to
form water with the general formula
Cn(H2O)n.
Carbohydrates
• Carbohydrates are the energy storage of our body,
and also our source of energy.

Examples of Carbohydrate;
Sugar, Starch, and Fiber.
 Glucose and Fructose
Glucose and Fructose are almost similar, they’re
bot simple sugar, both glucose and fructose can be
found in fruits and honey. But have different
chemical structure.
Chemical structure;

Glucose have 6 atom rings, while fructose have only 5.

 Hydrolysis
Hydrolysis occurs when a Carbohydrate is broken into its
component sugar molecules by hydrolysis, this is called
saccharification.

Example;
• When sucrose is broken, it will break down
into glucose and fructose. Because sucrose is a
combination of 2 simple sugars (glucose and
fructose).
Lipids
• A lipid, in other word “fat” is also a supply and store
of energy like carbohydrates.

• A single gram of lipid/fat contains more than a

double the amount of energy present in a gram of
carbohydrate.

• Lipids are insoluble (impossible to dissolve) in

water. Its molecules do not (or do not easily)
dissolve in water.
• Lipids serve as a source of fuel.

Examples of Lipids;
Cholesterol, Saturated fat, Oil, and Wax.
4 Main Groups of Lipids
1. Triglycerides 3. Steroids
 Fats  Glucocorticoids
 Oils  Mineralocorticoid
 Vitamin D
2. Phospholipids  Androgens
(Membrane Lipids)  Oestrogens
 Phosphatidylethanolamine  Progestins
 Phosphatidylinositol
 Phosphatidylserine 4. Wax
 Lecithin  Ear Wax
 Plasmalogens  Fatty acid
 Sphingomyelins
Proteins
• Protein is an important component of every cell in
the body. Hair and nails are mostly made of protein.
Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues.
You also use protein to make enzymes, hormones,
and other body chemicals.

• Protein is a "macronutrient," meaning that the

body needs relatively large amounts of it.
Protein
Structures:
Amino Acids
• Amino acids are organic compounds that combine
to form proteins.

• Amino acids are the monomers and the building

blocks of proteins.

• Amino acids’ role is to make proteins in helping our

body to digest foods.
21 Amino Acids
 Alanine  Pyroglutamatic
 Arginine  Serine
 Asparagine  Threonine
 Aspartic Acid  Tryptophan
 Cysteine  Tyrosine
 Glutamic Acid  Valine
 Glutamine
 Glycine
 Histidine
 Hydroxyproline
 Isoleucine
 Leucine
 Lysine
 Methionine
 Phenylalanine
 Proline
Nucleic Acids
• It is composed of long chains of nucleotides.
• Nucleic Acids are macromolecules that store
genetic information.
• The term “Nucleic Acid” is the overall name for
DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) and
RNA (Ribonucleic Acid).
DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)
• DNA is one of 2 types of molecules that encode
genetic information. (The other one is RNA)

• DNA is a double – stranded molecule held together

by weak hydrogen bonds between base pairs of
nucleotides.
Structure of a DNA:
RNA (Ribonucleic Acid)
• RNA is a polymeric molecule essential in various
biological roles in coding, and expression of genes.

• RNA is a single – stranded Nucleic Acid and is used

during the Gene Expression or DNA Replication
Process.
DNA Replication
DNA Replication is the process where DNA makes a
copy of itself during cell division or DNA Replication
Process.

RNA Transcription and Translation

(Gene expression) It is the process by which information
from a gene is used in the synthesis of a gene product.
These products are often proteins. Transcription and
Translation is the process of copying the portion of DNA
as a model, then the copy becomes RNA and converting
it into a protein.