Posted: May 22nd, 2023

Four Macromolecules Making Living Things

Lipids refer to a group of organic components, fats, oils, sterols and triglycerides. The outstanding property of lipids is their insolubility in water and solubility in organic solvents. Chemically, the lipid is a carbon atom connected with two hydrogen atoms. In particular, hydrocarbon can produce long chains the length of which varies (Wright 38).

Proteins are constituent parts of amino acids. The complicated folds and shapes of proteins determine the formation of their functions. The secondary protein structures appear in the form of chain bends, loops, and twists. The third level of organization endows the molecules with specific functions. Hence, the example of protein is hemoglobin that performs the transportation of oxygen (Starr and McMillan 34).

Nucleic acids belong to the group of complex unions that occurred in living cells consisting of purines, carbohydrates, and phosphoric acid. These macromolecules participate in the formation of DNA and RNA structures that are responsible for cellular and heredity functions (Starr and McMillan 36).

Finally, carbohydrates actively participate in cells formation as they supply them with energy. These molecules consist of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen in rations of 1:1:2 (Starr and McMillan 28). The simplest example of carbohydrates is sugar, or “saccharide”, which serves as the core energy source for building and functioning of body cells.