Understanding Biomolecules and Their Structure
The foundation of life relies on biomolecules, which are primarily composed of a carbon skeleton. Living organisms consist mainly of water, with biomolecules making up the remaining solid portion, while ions like sodium, potassium, and calcium represent less than 1% of total mass.
Definition: Biomolecules are organic compounds made primarily of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur, and nitrogen that form the building blocks of life.
Example: Methane CH4 demonstrates the basic principle of carbon bonding, where one carbon atom forms four covalent bonds with hydrogen atoms.
Highlight: Carbon atoms form the central skeleton of all biological molecules due to their ability to form four covalent bonds.
Vocabulary: Monomers are simple molecules that can combine to form larger molecules called polymers.
The four main classes of biomolecules are:
- Carbohydrates sugars
- Lipids fatsandoils
- Proteins
- Nucleic acids DNAandRNA