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Biochemistry: Structure of Molecules

How the Molecular Structure of Carbohydrates, Proteins and Lipids affect their function in living things.


Living cells contain many small molecules such as water and inorganic ions like nitrogen. They also contain a vast number of larger molecules, called macromolecules that are built from smaller, simple molecules. They are also known as organic molecules because they contain carbon. All living things on earth are carbon based life-forms because the element can bond with itself repeatedly to form an infinite variety of molecules.

Carbohydrates are organic molecules, including all sugars and starch, and contain three elements: carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Carbohydrates are the first molecules produced in photosynthesis, as lipids, proteins and nucleic acids are synthesised from them. There are three basic types of carbohydrate molecule; monosacharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides. Monosacharides are monomers or single sugars, the type varying on the n...

Posted by: Novelett Roberts

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