Question

If all the macromolecules are made mainly of the elements CHO, how are they different?

Answer 1

The four main classes of organic compounds (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids) that are essential to the proper functioning of all living things are known as polymers or macromolecules. All of these compounds are built primarily of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen but in different ratios. This gives each compound different properties. Carbohydrates are used by the body for energy and structural support in cell walls of plants and exoskeletons of insects and crustaceans. They are made of smaller subunits called nionosaccharides. Monosaccharides have carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a 1:2:1 ratio. Monosaccharides or simple sugars include glucose, galactose, and fructose. Although their chemical formulas are the same, they have different structural formulas. These simple sugars combine to make disaccharides (double sugars like sucrose) and polysaccharides (long chains like cellulose, chitin, and glycogen). Color code the glucose molecule on this worksheet (carbon-black, hydrogenyellow, and oxygen-red). Use your textbook to help draw the structural formulas for fructose and galactose: