For CAMPBELL BIOLOGY, NINTH EDITION
Jane B. Reece, Lisa A. Urry, Michael L. Cain, Steven A. Wasserman, Peter V. Minorsky, Robert B. Jackson
Chapter 5
The Structure and Function of
Large Biological Molecules
Lectures by
Erin Barley
Kathleen Fitzpatrick
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© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
,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
– Concept 2.3 ( for more information)
» A covalent bond is the sharing of a pair of valence
electrons by two atoms
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© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
,Concept 5.1:
Macromolecules are polymers, built
from monomers
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, • 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 lifeʼs organic
molecules are polymers
– Carbohydrates
– Proteins
– Nucleic acids 4
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
,The Synthesis and Breakdown of Polymers
• Synthesis of polymer from monomers:
– By dehydration reaction
• when two monomers bond together ???
– through the loss of a water molecule
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© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
,Figure 5.2a
(a) Dehydration reaction: synthesizing a polymer
1 2 3
Short polymer Unlinked monomer
Dehydration removes
a water molecule,
forming a new bond.
1 2 3 4
Longer polymer
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,• Breakdown of Polymers to monomers :
– By hydrolysis reaction
• the reverse of the dehydration reaction ??
– ----------------------------------------
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,Figure 5.2b
(b) Hydrolysis: breaking down a polymer
1 2 3 4
Hydrolysis adds
a water molecule,
breaking a bond.
1 2 3
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,The Diversity of Polymers
• Each cell has thousands of different
macromolecules
HO
• 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
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© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
, Concept 5.2:
Carbohydrates serve as fuel and
building material
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