Biomolecules of Life: Building Blocks of Living Organisms

Biomolecules are molecules essential for life. These are large molecules composed of small repeating units called monomers. Well known biomolecules are carbohydrates, protein, lipids, and nucleic acid. In its microscopic structure, they are held by intermolecular forces. In this essay about biomolecules of life there will be an attempt to describe what is biomolecules and what role they play in everyday life. 

Introduction

In our everyday lives, all the things that we encounter are all broken down into smaller parts known as molecules. Molecules, just like atoms, are divisions of matter that are combined to form stable foundations for people and nonliving entities. Examples of these include the cells in our bodies that are collated to build smooth and cardiac muscles and organ systems, and the groups of atoms that comprise Hydrogen as an element. In some fields of science such as Botany, Physics and Microbiology, molecules play a huge role in molding the understanding of the students regarding the formation of substances, chemical reactions, antibodies and vaccines, and how their smaller components affect their functions to the modern world.

Biomolecules are essential components that are obtained or produced by human beings throughout their lives and these have four types: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. All these scientific structures bring stability on our bodies’ internal conditions, aiding us in utilizing the forms of energy and nutrients that we receive from food and supplementary materials, as well as in securing our genetic formations.

A biomolecule, also known as a biological molecule, is a commonly used term for molecules existing in numerous developmental stages in life such as cell division, genetic information transportation, and morphogenesis, or the state of cell shape evolution. It is classified into four types and here are their functions:

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are biomolecules composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. These are the amplest organic substances which function as the main energy and foundational sources for plants and animals obtained from photosynthesis and food groups such as rice and grains. These are then divided into its subtypes:

• Monosaccharides – these are the simplest form of sugars present in fruits and honey. Examples of these are the glucose, fructose, and galactose which fuel people’s energy needs in the form of processed foods, starch-rich foods, specific fruits, and the like.
• Disaccharides – from the name itself, these contain double molecules of sugar and its examples are sucrose, which exists in cane desserts, lactose which is incorporated in maternal milk formulations, and maltose.
• Oligosaccharides – these are found in rare sources in nature.
• Polysaccharides – these are the most complex structures of sugars that could be formed out of 10,000 monosaccharides bound together. Its variations include cellulose which provides scaffolding for plants, glycogen that is formed from glucose chains and is stored in the liver and muscles of organisms for emergency purposes, and starch which reserve enough energy levels for plants to carry out their everyday routines (e.g. photosynthesis), and can also be converted into edible forms like breads.

Lipids

Lipids are divisions of organic compounds that include fats, oils and other molecules that are said to be hydrophobic (and hydrophilic at some instances). Its types include triglycerides, which function as storage areas and thermal insulators for organisms, fats that can either be saturated (single bonds are only applicable, and they are capable of being fixated at room temperature which in turn, solidifies fats) or unsaturated (composed of double bonds that impact the fats’ hydrocarbon structure, making these loosely tied at room temperature, thus liquidizing these in the end), cholesterol which is built from 4 related hydrocarbon rings and works as a catalyst to sex hormones, and phospholipids that are like magnets since these contain both hydrophobic and hydrophilic parts (head and tail).

Lipid bilayer’s structure reveals that its lipid and protein molecules have a noncovalent bonding. The type of intermolecular force present here is the so called Van der Waals forces which bind the hydrophobic tails to each other and hydrogen bonding which connects water-loving tails to water, and these are said to maintain a stable arrangement of the lipid bilayer.

Proteins

Proteins are the building blocks of life for all living organisms. Protein’s etymology stems from the Greek word prōteios implying “holding first place”. These play an important role in the formation of adequate muscular mass for individuals to maintain their overall physical soundness, that will enable them to endure strenuous movements without facing immediate injuries. As biomolecules, proteins consist of 20 amino acids bonded together to produce long molecular structures. These are then grouped based on their similarities. Essential amino acids are those that cannot be solely produced by the body, whereas nonessential amino acids are those that we innately possess in our systems. But before arriving at their present state, amino acids are derived by means of covalent bonding to attain the central appearance of proteins. For their secondary frameworks, hydrogen bonding takes place. They also have the tendency to form 3D structures due to dipole-dipole forces and London dispersion forces, too. Proteins are also synthesized in various parts to produce enzymes which would serve as catalysts for bodily functions. An example of a beneficial enzyme is the hemoglobin which carries oxygen form our lungs to our tissues and organs. Enzymes are made from non-covalent bonds which contribute to the shape and ability of these to retain reactants to produce products.

Nucleic Acids

Nucleic Acids are chemical compounds that carry genetic information to cells and direct the process of protein synthesis to finalize the inherited traits of every living creature. It has two main types namely DNA and RNA. Deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA is considered the framework of an individual’s genetic identity which stores its unique characteristics, acquired phenotypes and genotypes from parents all at once. Ribonucleic acid or RNA then facilitates the transfer and fabrication of proteins. Basically, nucleic acids are molecules comprised of nucleotides that are connected to pentose sugars and phosphate groups. In turn, these also contain nitrogenous bases namely adenine and guanine (purines), cytosine, thymine, and uracil (pyrimidines). All these base pairs are involved in a hydrogen bonding which then make up the spiral, ladderlike structure of DNA.

Conclusion

Based on the provided information from the resources used in this “biomolecules of life” essay, the role of intermolecular forces in lipids and nucleic acids is realy important. First of all, intermolecular forces stabilize the structural foundation of molecules in lipids and nucleic acids, such that when a zone is polar, these actions create a way for it not to interfere with the normal state of a nonpolar zone. In addition, hydrophilic spots in a molecule is also being reinforced with elements of the same momentum, as well as the hydrophobic ones being glued to each other (e.g. uniqueness of lipids’ orientations). The second role is that intermolecular forces strengthen the bond between the molecules present in lipids and nucleic acids. These determine what would be the physical structure of the biomolecules and the strength of these forces would also be jointly proportional to the steadiness of their molecular properties.

References

• Roberts, R. (n.d.). Nucleic acid. Anatomy and Physiology. 
• Rogers, K. (n.d.). Biomolecule. Anatomy and Physiology.
• Shapley, P. (2011). Intermolecular Forces and DNA. University of Illinois. 
• The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.). Chemistry. 
• Thompson, T. (n.d.). Lipid. Anatomy and Physiology.
• Wikibooks. (n.d.). Structural Biochemistry/Organic Chemistry/Lipids. 
• Wikibooks. (n.d.). Structural Biochemistry/Lipids/Lipid Bilayer.