The “Big 4” Biomolecules

1. The “Big 4”Biomolecules The building blocks of life: Proteins, lipids, carbohydrates & nucleic acids

2. What Is ABiomolecule? • A very large molecule, such as a polymer or protein, consisting of many smaller structural units linked together. Also called supermolecule.

3. Biological Macromolecule • Allbiomolecules are made up of a small number of elements: Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Sulfur

4. NOW … The “Big 4”Biomolecules

5. The Facts … • Three of the 4 types of biomolecules can be found on food nutrition labels…

6. Look at the label to the right. 3 of the 4 biomolecules can be found in foods. Carbohydrates Fats (Lipids) Proteins How many of each are found in this product?

7. And … the Fourth • Nucleic Acids, including… • DNA: Deoxyribonucleic Acid • RNA: Ribonucleic Acid

8. When studying these biochemical molecules, we are interested in finding out….. • What they do for living things. • How they may help the body gain energy to sustain life.

9. CARBOHYDRATES

10. Carbohydrates… WHAT ARE THEY? • Just like your car needs fuel to make it run, your body needs fuel to make it go. • Of course, your body doesn't run on gasoline - it runs on carbohydrates. • Carbohydrates, are by far your body's favorite source of energy.

11. Carbohydrates… WHAT DO THEY DO? • They are the main source for the body to gain energy. They are our fuel! • They make up the cell wall in plants which allow them to grow tall, without this carbohydrate, a plant would be a mushy mess! This type of carbohydrate is called cellulose. Carbs = Energy & Cell Walls

12. Carbohydrates… WHERE ARE THEY FOUND? • In plant foods: in the cell walls of plants, in fruits, vegetables, peas, beans, sugar (comes from a plant) and flour (another plant). Including, pasta, potatoes, bread, candy, cookies. • In animal products: in milk.

13. Carbohydrates… HOW DO THEY WORK? • After you enjoy a meal, the carbohydrates from the foods you consumed are broken down into smaller units of sugar. • These small units get absorbed out of your digestive tract and into your bloodstream. • This blood sugar, or blood glucose, is transported through your bloodstream to supply energy to your muscles and other tissues. • This is an important process; in fact, supplying energy to the body is the main role. • But another important function of carbs is supplying energy to the brain.

14. Carbohydrates… TYPES • There are two types of carbohydrates: Simple Complex

15. Carbohydrates… SIMPLE SUGARS • Simple sugars are carbohydrates made up of 1 or 2 monomers. They also taste sweet.

16. Carbohydrates… COMPLEX SUGARS • Complex carbohydrates are polymers made up of many monomers. • Most also taste starchy.

17. Carbohydrates… COMPLEX SUGARS • Fiber • Whole grains • Starches • Pasta • Breads • Vegetables

18. Carbohydrates… MADE UP OF… • Carbohydrates are chains (polymers) made of monomers. • The most common monomer of carbohydrates is… GLUCOSE

19. LIPIDS

20. Lipids… WHAT DO THEY DO? ONE … • Acting as an energy source: although the body uses carbohydrates as its primary form of energy, it can turn to lipids when it needs a reserve. Most people weighing 154 pounds have enough lipids to carry them through 24 to 30 days without food.

21. Lipids… WHAT DO THEY DO? TWO … • Protecting and structuring organs: various organs are surrounded by fat pads that protect them and give them structure. For example, the fat keep the kidneys in place and prevent bends in the ureters.

22. Lipids… WHAT DO THEY DO? THREE … • Insulation: layers of fat under the skin insulate the body when temperatures drop.

23. Lipids… WHAT DO THEY DO? FOUR … • Generating heat: when skin temperatures drop too far, layers of fat beneath the skin metabolize to raise them.

24. Lipids… WHAT DO THEY DO? FIVE … • Give cell membranes structure: most cell membranes feature lipid bilayers. • This layer plays a role in signaling by allowing signaling proteins to lock into it. • In addition, the lipid component allows the cell membrane to remain hydrophobic, which prevents too many molecules from moving through.

25. Lipids… INTERESTING FACTS Waterproofing • Fruits produce a waxy coating to keep from drying out. • The cells in a tulip make a wax which helps coat the leaves. • Ear wax traps dust, sand, and other foreign particles from going deeper into the ear and causing damage. • Beeswax- a structural material to hold honey in the hive.

26. Lipids… INTERESTING FACTS Steroids • There are many different types of steroids. They are all lipids. Their functions vary. • Some common steroids are: • Sex steroids, like estrogen and testosterone • Anabolic steroids, increase muscle • Cholesterol • Natural steroids in our body increase muscle growth and bone development and are good. • Synthetic steroids are dangerous, unhealthy, and illegal.

27. Lipids… WHERE ARE THEY FOUND? • In plants: in the seeds. • In animals: in adipose tissue, and connective tissue. • Lipids make up the cell membrane of all cells.

28. Lipids… WHERE ARE THEY FOUND?

29. Lipids… WHERE ARE THEY FOUND? • Oils • Butter • Margarine • And foods high in these.

30. Lipids… MADE UP OF… • Lipids are chains (polymers) made of monomers. • The most common monomer of lipids is… TRIGLYCERIDE

31. PROTEINS

32. Proteins… WHAT DO THEY DO? • They are the major structural molecules in living things for growth and repair : muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones, hair, skin, nails… In fact all cell membraneshave protein in them. • They make up antibodiesin the immune system. • They make up enzymesfor helping chemical reactions. • They makeup non-steroid hormones THINK: Proteins=structural molecules, membranes, enzymes, antibodies, non-steroid hormones.

33. Proteins… CELL MEMBRANE • The cell membrane surrounds everything in a cell so it doesn’t leak out. It is kind of like the balloon in a water balloon. • The cell membrane is made mostly of proteinAND lipids.

34. Proteins… ANTIBODIES • Antibodies are part of the immune system. • When something enters the body that isn’t supposed to be there, like certain bacteria, antibodies find the invader and stick themselves onto it. • When a white blood cell finds the invader covered with antibodies, it knows it doesn’t belong there and kills it.

35. Proteins… ENZYMES • Enzymes are proteins that speed up chemical reactions. If you didn’t have enzymes in your stomach to speed up digestion, the food would rot in your stomach because it would take so long!

36. Proteins… HORMONES • Hormones are chemicals made in glands that are in one place in the body and then put into the blood to be used in another.

37. Proteins… HORMONES • Thyroid hormone regulates how fast your body uses energy. • If you have an over active thyroid, you use energy quickly and tend to be very thin and have a hard time putting on weight. • If you have an under active thyroid gland, you use energy very slowly and tend to carry more body fat and have a difficult time losing it. • Don’t be quick to think you have a thyroid problem if you are overweight, chances are it’s actually your eating and exercise habits!

38. Proteins… WHERE ARE THEY FOUND? • In plant foods: in the cell membranes • In animal products: in the cell membranes especially in the muscles of living things like cows, chicken, fish.

39. Proteins… WHERE ARE THEY FOUND? • Aside from the protein found in animal sources… protein can also be found in fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts. • It just does not have as many amino acids.

40. Proteins… MADE UP OF… • Proteins are made of long chains (polymers) made of monomers. All proteins are made of the monomer… AMINO ACID

41. Proteins… AMINO ACIDS • The shapes of proteins are like a balled up piece of string.

42. Proteins… SIMPLE • An amino acid

43. Proteins… COMPLEX • Proteins are polymers of amino acid monomers. • Twenty different amino acids are used to build proteins in organisms.

44. Amino Acids • There are 20 different amino acids. • They are assembled via instructions encoded in our DNA and can form chains thousands of amino acids long. • The structure of every amino acid varies and those differences contribute to the shape of the overall protein.

45. NUCLEIC ACIDS

46. Nucleic Acids… WHAT DO THEY DO? • Store and transmit genetic information in a cell for proteins to be made (protein synthesis) • Monomers = nucleotides • 5 carbon sugar • Phosphate group • Nitrogenous base

47. Nucleic Acids • The nucleic acids in food are not considered a substance that the body uses to gain energy.

48. Let’s talk ENERGY

49. Energy • Energy that is gained by consuming food is called a … CALORIE

50. Energy that we gain by the consumption of food is measured in Calories. If you drink a glass of skim milk, you will get a gain of 90 Calories of energy for your body.