Biomolecules

There are four major biomolecules, which are:

1. Carbohydrates:
• Is the major source of energy for our body, it is
made of hydrocarbon molecules
• Most foods contain carbohydrates, which the
body breaks down into simple sugars.
• .Sugars provides living things with energy and act as substances used
for structure. An example of structure might be the stem of a plant.

2. Proteins:
• Protein builds up, maintains, and replaces the
tissues in your body. The muscles, the organs, and
the immune system are made up mostly of proteins.
• The body uses proteins to make hemoglobin (The
part of red blood cells that carries oxygen to our
body)
• They are also used to build cardiac muscle as the heart.

3. Lipids:
• Lipids are large hydrocarbon molecules. One of its ends
is attracted to water while the other end tries to get
away from water.
• The cell membrane is made up of lipids because they
can form a sphere with a space inside it.
• This lipid membrane, also, could move apart a little bit to let water or
other molecules like proteins to pass through the cell membrane into
the cell.

4. Nucleic acids:
• The nucleic acids, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and
ribonucleic acid (RNA), are one of the basic classes
of macromolecules studied in biochemistry.
• Nucleic acid, so called because of its prevalence in
cellular nuclei.
• Nucleic acids may be single-stranded or double-stranded.
 They made up the
cell membrane
Lipids

Proteins
Allow to pass
proteins into the cell
It is a hydrocarbon
molecule

It is made up
The DNA is a set of hydrocarbon
of instructions for molecules
making proteins

Carbohydrates
Nucleic Acids

But they also can cause some diseases. A very common disease related to
biomolecules is the Sickle Cell Anemia

Sickle Cell Anemia:

The sickle cell anemia is a serious disease in which the body makes sickle-
shaped red blood cells; it means that red blood cells have the form of “C”.
The red blood cells in our body have an oval shaped like donuts without
holes in the center, so they can move easily through the blood vessels.
Instead, if they have this “C” shape they could not move easily through the
blood vessels and they might get stuck.
This is caused because by the hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich
protein that gives red color to the blood cells and carries oxygen from the
lungs to the rest of the body. The sickle cells contain abnormal hemoglobin
that causes cells to have a sickle shape.
Blocked blood vessels can cause pain, serious infections, and organ damage.
 This image shows the differences between a normal red blood cell and
a sickle cell
And there are another diseases also related to biomolecules. In my family,
my dad and my grandparents suffer of diabetes

Diabetes: There are two types: diabetes mellitus, the most common, and
diabetes insipid.
Diabetes mellitus is a syndrome of disordered metabolism, usually due to a
combination of hereditary and environmental causes, resulting in abnormally
high blood sugar levels. Blood glucose levels are controlled by a complex
interaction of multiple chemicals and hormones in the body, including the
hormone insulin made in the pancreas. This also affects the metabolism of
carbohydrates, lipids and proteins.

Sources:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Sca/SCA_WhatIs.htm
www.wikipedia.com

Sandra Muñoz