macromolecules
Proteins and DNA
Macromolecules are very large molecules, typically composed of thousands of atoms bonded together.
In biology, the term usually refers to the four main classes: proteins, nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), carbohydrates, and lipids.
In chemistry and materials science, macromolecule often means polymer—a long chain of repeating units: Plastics are synthetic macromolecules.
Amino acid polymers
- polysaccharidesMulti-unit sugar polymers
- lipidsWater-insoluble biomolecules
- enzymesReaction-speeding proteins
- DNAHereditary code molecule
RNA · hemoglobin · insulin · collagen · antibodies · cellulose · starch · glycogen
Monomers bonding into chains
- condensationVapor turning to liquid
- ribosomesCellular translation machinery
- transcriptionWritten version of speech
- translationConverting between languages
replication · biosynthesis · elongation · initiation · termination · enzymes · catalysis · monomers
Thermoplastic from ethylene gas
- polypropyleneVersatile thermoplastic resin
- polystyreneLightweight synthetic foam plastic
- PVCChlorinated plastic abbreviation
- nylonSynthetic textile polymer
polyester · Teflon · acrylic · kevlar · epoxy · resin · bakelite · rubber
Fluid's flow resistance
- solubilityDissolving potential in liquid
- crystallinityStructural atomic order degree
- elasticityTendency to resume original form
- denaturationStructural breakdown of proteins
aggregation · self-assembly · hydrophobicity · charge · stability · degradation · flexibility · rigidity
Bending something over itself
- conformationStructural form or arrangement
- domainArea of control
- motifRecurring thematic element
- coilWound circular arrangement
proteins
Amino acid polymers
- polysaccharidesMulti-unit sugar polymers
- lipidsWater-insoluble biomolecules
- enzymesReaction-speeding proteins
DNA · RNA · hemoglobin · insulin · collagen · antibodies · cellulose · starch · glycogen · chitin
polymerization
Monomers bonding into chains
- condensationVapor turning to liquid
- ribosomesCellular translation machinery
- transcriptionWritten version of speech
translation · replication · biosynthesis · elongation · initiation · termination · enzymes · catalysis · monomers · template
polyethylene
Thermoplastic from ethylene gas
- polypropyleneVersatile thermoplastic resin
- polystyreneLightweight synthetic foam plastic
- PVCChlorinated plastic abbreviation
nylon · polyester · Teflon · acrylic · kevlar · epoxy · resin · bakelite · rubber · silicone
viscosity
Fluid's flow resistance
- solubilityDissolving potential in liquid
- crystallinityStructural atomic order degree
- elasticityTendency to resume original form
denaturation · aggregation · self-assembly · hydrophobicity · charge · stability · degradation · flexibility · rigidity · porosity
folding
Bending something over itself
- conformationStructural form or arrangement
- domainArea of control
- motifRecurring thematic element
coil · loop · subunit · crystallography
- BiomoleculesDNA, protein, RNA, enzyme, mRNA
- biochemistryenzymes, proteins, biochemistry, protein, enzyme
- life originsabiogenesis, biogenesis, primordial soup, panspermia, origin of life
macromoleculesmonomers
Single molecular units
atoms · ions · radicals · functional groups · subatomic particles
macromoleculesmonomers
Single molecular units
building blocks · subunits · simple sugars · amino acids · nucleotides