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PolymersOfFourMacromolecules
On the polymers of the four major types of biological macromolecules
All living things in the world depend on the four major types of biological macromolecules to form and perform their functions. These four categories are proteins, nucleic acids, polysaccharides and lipids, each with its own unique polymers, which play their own roles in life activities and are crucial.
Proteins, the polymer is a polypeptide chain. Amino acids are their basic units, connected by peptide bonds, polymerized into chains. There are many kinds of amino acids, about twenty kinds, with different side chains, giving proteins diverse properties. Polypeptide chains are folded and circled to form a specific three-dimensional structure, which makes them biologically active. Or enzymes, catalyzing biochemical reactions; or structural proteins, supporting cells and tissues; or signaling proteins, transmitting information, and so on.
Nucleic acids are divided into deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). Its polymer is composed of nucleotides. Nucleotides contain phosphoric acid, five-carbon sugars and nitrogen-containing bases. The five-carbon sugar of DNA is deoxyribose, and RNA is ribose. DNA consists of two reverse parallel nucleotide chains spiraling into a double helix structure, with complementary pairs of bases, storing genetic information. RNA is mostly single-stranded, depending on its function. There are messenger RNA (mRNA), transporter RNA (tRNA) and ribosomal RNA (rRNA), which play a key role in the transmission and expression of genetic information.
Polysaccharides are polymerized from monosaccharides. Common monosaccharides such as glucose, fructose, etc. Polysaccharides have complex structures and can be divided into storage polysaccharides and structural polysaccharides according to their functions. Starch is the storage polysaccharide of plants, and glycogen is the storage polysaccharide of animals. Both are polymerized from glucose, but their structures are slightly different. Cellulose is the main component of plant cell walls. It is a structural polysaccharide and is also polymerized by glucose, but its connection mode is different from starch and glycogen, and it has high stability.
Lipid polymers are special, although there are no strict repeating units. Lipids include fats, phospholipids and sterols. Fats are composed of glycerol and fatty acids, and the length Phospholipids contain phosphoric acid, glycerol and nitrogen-containing bases, which are essential for the structure and function of cell membranes. Sterols such as cholesterol and sex hormones, although their structures do not have obvious polymerization characteristics like other macromolecules, they play a significant role in the regulation of metabolism in organisms.
The polymers of the four major types of biomacromolecules cooperate with each other to maintain the orderly operation of life. Proteins and nucleic acids participate in the expression and regulation of genetic information, polysaccharides provide energy and structural support, and lipids build biofilms and participate in signal transmission. These four types of polymers together deduce the wonderful movement of life and become a complex scene of all things in the world.
All living things in the world depend on the four major types of biological macromolecules to form and perform their functions. These four categories are proteins, nucleic acids, polysaccharides and lipids, each with its own unique polymers, which play their own roles in life activities and are crucial.
Proteins, the polymer is a polypeptide chain. Amino acids are their basic units, connected by peptide bonds, polymerized into chains. There are many kinds of amino acids, about twenty kinds, with different side chains, giving proteins diverse properties. Polypeptide chains are folded and circled to form a specific three-dimensional structure, which makes them biologically active. Or enzymes, catalyzing biochemical reactions; or structural proteins, supporting cells and tissues; or signaling proteins, transmitting information, and so on.
Nucleic acids are divided into deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). Its polymer is composed of nucleotides. Nucleotides contain phosphoric acid, five-carbon sugars and nitrogen-containing bases. The five-carbon sugar of DNA is deoxyribose, and RNA is ribose. DNA consists of two reverse parallel nucleotide chains spiraling into a double helix structure, with complementary pairs of bases, storing genetic information. RNA is mostly single-stranded, depending on its function. There are messenger RNA (mRNA), transporter RNA (tRNA) and ribosomal RNA (rRNA), which play a key role in the transmission and expression of genetic information.
Polysaccharides are polymerized from monosaccharides. Common monosaccharides such as glucose, fructose, etc. Polysaccharides have complex structures and can be divided into storage polysaccharides and structural polysaccharides according to their functions. Starch is the storage polysaccharide of plants, and glycogen is the storage polysaccharide of animals. Both are polymerized from glucose, but their structures are slightly different. Cellulose is the main component of plant cell walls. It is a structural polysaccharide and is also polymerized by glucose, but its connection mode is different from starch and glycogen, and it has high stability.
Lipid polymers are special, although there are no strict repeating units. Lipids include fats, phospholipids and sterols. Fats are composed of glycerol and fatty acids, and the length Phospholipids contain phosphoric acid, glycerol and nitrogen-containing bases, which are essential for the structure and function of cell membranes. Sterols such as cholesterol and sex hormones, although their structures do not have obvious polymerization characteristics like other macromolecules, they play a significant role in the regulation of metabolism in organisms.
The polymers of the four major types of biomacromolecules cooperate with each other to maintain the orderly operation of life. Proteins and nucleic acids participate in the expression and regulation of genetic information, polysaccharides provide energy and structural support, and lipids build biofilms and participate in signal transmission. These four types of polymers together deduce the wonderful movement of life and become a complex scene of all things in the world.
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