VIEWS: Biomolecules Gale Rhodes Chemistry Department University
of Southern Maine
Links To Files Used In Biochemistry Class (CHY 361-363)
Be sure to read the Introduction to the Biochemistry
Graphics Gallery to learn how to view these files.|
Topic: Biomolecules.
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Examples: Four Major Classes of Biomolecules
With each of these examples, try to identify the functional groups
present, and then determine what would be the products of acid- or base-catalyzed
hydrolysis of each substance. These hydrolysis products are the building blocks of
biomolecules.
Note: In some of these models, the hydrogens are not present. Assume that
unfilled valences of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and phosphorus are taken by
hydrogen. (Do you know why hydrogens are often missing from biomolecular models?)
Carbohydrates Trimannoside, a component of complex plant
glycans (starches, more or less).
Lipids Phosphatidyl choline, a structural component of cell membranes MembraneViewer.html.
Cholesterol, a substance that modifies the fluidity of
membranes MembraneViewer.html.
Nucleic Acids A short piece of DNA, a nucleic
acid, with five base pairsDNAEricMarz.html.
Proteins A short polypeptide, or protein segment, from a gene-regulating protein.
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