Biological Molecules Flashcards
What are the four major organic compounds?
Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids
What is the main function of carbohydrates?
To be used as an energy source for organisms
What are carbohydrates made of?
monosaccharides - sugars. the most important being glucose
What do carbohydrates contain?
Carbon, oxygen and hydrogen
What do lipids contain?
Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and phosphorus or nitrogen
What are lipids made up of?
one glycerol and three fatty acids
What types of lipids are there?
- fats and oils (energy stores)
- phospholipids (cell membranes)
- steroids
What do proteins contain?
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and usually sulfur
What are proteins made up of?
amino acids joined together by peptide bonds. 20 different amino acids
What types of proteins are there?
structural, enzymes, hormones and carrier molecules
What are nucleic acids?
DNA, RNA and nucleotide monomers
