What are considered macromolecules?

1 Answer
Jun 30, 2017

In biology, all living organisms are made up of four kinds of macromolecules: Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

Explanation:

A macromolecule is a very large molecule, usually made by process of polymerization. In polymerization, individual "building block" units called monomers are joined together to form larger molecules called polymers. Macromolecules differ from one another by their

  1. Functional Groups
  2. Size of molecules
  3. Isomers of molecules

The 3D structure of a macromolecule determines its function.

There are four main types of macromolecules to think about when studying biology:

  1. Carbohydrates which are used to store energy, for identification, for structure.
  2. Lipids which are used for energy storage, insulation, hormonal signaling, membrane fluidity, and in the case of chlorophyll to capture light.
  3. Nucleic Acids which are used for storage, transmission, and use of genetic information.
  4. Proteins which have an incredibly diverse list of functions including catalysis (as enzymes), structure, response and defense (antibodies), storage of amino acids, transport of substances, and rates of expression of genes.