CHEMISTRY

Topic: BIOMOLECULES
What are Biomolecules?
Biomolecule, also called biological
molecule, any of numerous substances
that are produced by cells and living
organisms. Biomolecules have a wide
range of sizes and structures and
perform a vast array of functions. The
four major types of biomolecules are
carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids, and
proteins.
Types of Biomolecules

There are four major classes of Biomolecules

–  Carbohydrates, Proteins, Nucleic acids
and Lipids. Each of them is discussed below.
 Carbohydrates
• Carbohydrates are chemically defined as polyhydroxy
aldehydes or ketones or compounds which produce them on
hydrolysis. In layman’s terms, we acknowledge
carbohydrates as sugars or substances that taste sweet. They
are collectively called as saccharides (Greek: sakcharon =
sugar). Depending on the number of constituting sugar units
obtained upon hydrolysis, they are classified as
monosaccharides (1 unit), oligosaccharides (2-10 units) and
polysaccharides (more than 10 units). They have multiple
functions’ viz. they’re the most abundant dietary source of
energy; they are structurally very important for many living
organisms as they form a major structural component, e.g.
cellulose is an important structural fibre for plants.
 Proteins
• Proteins are another class of indispensable
biomolecules, which make up around 50per cent of the
cellular dry weight. Proteins are polymers of 
amino acids arranged in the form of polypeptide
chains. The structure of proteins is classified as
primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary in some
cases. These structures are based on the level of
complexity of the folding of a polypeptide chain.
Proteins play both structural and dynamic roles.
Myosin is the protein that allows movement by
contraction of muscles. Most enzymes are
proteinaceous in nature.
 Nucleic Acids
• Nucleic acids refer to the genetic material found in the cell that
carries all the hereditary information from parents to progeny. There
are two types of nucleic acids namely, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
and ribonucleic acid (RNA). The main function of nucleic acid is the
transfer of genetic information and synthesis of proteins by processes
known as translation and transcription. The monomeric unit of
nucleic acids is known as nucleotide and is composed of a
nitrogenous base, pentose sugar, and phosphate. The nucleotides are
linked by a 3’ and 5’ phosphodiester bond. The nitrogen base
attached to the pentose sugar makes the nucleotide distinct. There are
4 major nitrogenous bases found in DNA: adenine, guanine,
cytosine, and thymine. In RNA, thymine is replaced by uracil.
The DNA structure is described as a double-helix or double-helical
structure which is formed by hydrogen bonding between the bases of
two antiparallel polynucleotide chains. Overall, the DNA structure
 looks similar to a twisted ladder.
 Lipids
• Lipids are organic substances that are
insoluble in water, soluble in organic solvents,
are related to fatty acids and are utilized by the
living cell. They include fats, waxes, sterols, fat-
soluble vitamins, mono-, di- or triglycerides,
phospholipids, etc. Unlike carbohydrates,
proteins, and nucleic acids, lipids are not
polymeric molecules. Lipids play a great role in
the cellular structure and are the chief source of
energy.
• biomolecule, also called biological molecule, any of numerous
substances that are produced by cells and living organisms.
Biomolecules have a wide range of sizes and structures and
perform a vast array of functions. The four major types of
biomolecules are carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids, and proteins.
• Among biomolecules, nucleic acids, namely DNA and RNA, have
the unique function of storing an organism’s genetic code—the
sequence of nucleotides that determines the amino acid sequence
of proteins, which are of critical importance to life on Earth. There
are 20 different amino acids that can occur within a protein; the
order in which they occur plays a fundamental role in determining 
protein structure and function. Proteins themselves are major
structural elements of cells. They also serve as transporters,
moving nutrients and other molecules in and out of cells, and as 
enzymes and catalysts for the vast majority of chemical reactions
 that take place in living organisms. Proteins also form antibodies
 and hormones, and they influence gene activity.
• Likewise, carbohydrates, which are made up primarily
of molecules containing atoms of carbon, hydrogen,
and oxygen, are essential energy sources and structural
components of all life, and they are among the most
abundant biomolecules on Earth. They are built from
four types of sugar units—monosaccharides, 
disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides.
Lipids, another key biomolecule of living organisms,
fulfill a variety of roles, including serving as a source of 
stored energy and acting as chemical messengers. They
also form membranes, which separate cells from their 
environments and compartmentalize the cell interior,
giving rise to organelles, such as the nucleus and the 
mitochondrion, in higher (more complex) organisms.