Biomolecules (Older Video 2016)

Summary

This video script introduces the four major biomolecules that constitute all life: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. It explains their functions, monomers, and the importance of their structure in determining their properties. The script uses the mnemonic 'CHO, CHO, CHON, CHONP' to help remember the elements that make up these biomolecules, emphasizing the significance of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus in their composition.

Takeaways

• 🍕 Food preferences vary widely among individuals, but all foods provide essential biomolecules necessary for life.
• 🧬 There are four major biomolecules that constitute all forms of life, which are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.
• 🏗️ Monomer is a term for the building blocks of substances, and understanding them is crucial for understanding biomolecules.
• 🍚 Carbohydrates are a primary source of quick energy, such as in the practice of 'pasta loading' by marathon runners.
• 🍬 The monomer of carbohydrates is called a monosaccharide, which forms the basis of these energy-providing molecules.
• 🧈 Lipids, also known as fats, have two types of building blocks: fatty acids and glycerol, and serve multiple functions including insulation and long-term energy storage.
• 🐠 Lipids are essential for the structure of cell membranes and are vital for life, but should be consumed in moderation for health.
• 💪 Proteins are fundamental for muscle building and are also involved in immune function and enzyme activity, with amino acids as their monomers.
• 🧬 Nucleic acids, including DNA and RNA, are responsible for genetic information and are composed of nucleotides as their monomers.
• 🍓 Consuming foods from once-living organisms, such as strawberries, means you are also consuming their DNA, which is present in every cell.
• 🔬 The structure of biomolecules is vital to understand as it influences their properties and functions, and can be remembered with the mnemonic CHO, CHO, CHON, CHONP for carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids respectively.
• 🔍 The arrangement of elements within biomolecules, such as in ring or chain forms, significantly impacts their function and is worth further exploration through illustrations.

Q & A

What are the four major biomolecules that make up all of life?

The four major biomolecules are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

What is the primary function of carbohydrates in our body?

Carbohydrates serve as a fast source of energy for the body, especially useful for activities like marathon running.

What is a monomer and why is it important to understand biomolecules?

A monomer is a building block of larger substances. Understanding monomers is crucial because biomolecules are composed of these monomers, which determine their structure and function.

What is the monomer for carbohydrates known as?

The monomer for carbohydrates is called a monosaccharide.

What are the two types of building blocks for lipids?

The two types of building blocks for lipids are fatty acids and glycerol.

Why are lipids important for insulation and long-term energy storage?

Lipids are important for insulation because they help retain body heat, as seen in animals like harp seals. They also serve as a long-term energy source, providing energy over extended periods for activities like swimming long distances.

What are the monomers of proteins called?

The monomers of proteins are called amino acids.

How are proteins involved in the immune system and as enzymes?

Proteins play a role in the immune system by acting as antibodies and other immune factors. They also function as enzymes, which catalyze biochemical reactions in the body.

What is the monomer of nucleic acids, and what do they do?

The monomer of nucleic acids is called a nucleotide. Nucleic acids, including DNA and RNA, are involved in storing and transmitting genetic information.

What is the significance of the elements carbon (C), hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in biomolecules?

These elements form the backbone of biomolecules. Carbohydrates and lipids are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (CHO), while proteins and nucleic acids contain these elements plus nitrogen (CHON), with nucleic acids also containing phosphorus (P).

What is the mnemonic device provided to remember the elements in the four biomolecules?

The mnemonic device is 'CHO, CHO, CHON, CHONP', which represents the elements in carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, respectively.

Outlines

00:00

🍕 Introduction to Biomolecules and Monomer Basics

The video script begins with an invitation to follow the Amoeba Sisters on social media and an introduction to the concept of biomolecules, which are large molecules essential for life. The script encourages viewers to consider their favorite food and explains that these foods are sources of biomolecules. It introduces the term 'monomer' as the building blocks of these biomolecules, likening them to building blocks in a construction set. The paragraph sets the stage for a detailed exploration of the four major biomolecules: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, and their respective monomers: monosaccharides, fatty acids/glycerol, amino acids, and nucleotides.

05:01

🌾 Exploring the Functions and Structures of Biomolecules

This paragraph delves deeper into the roles and characteristics of each biomolecule. Carbohydrates are highlighted as a primary energy source, especially for activities like marathon running, where 'pasta loading' is a common practice. Lipids, or fats, are discussed in terms of their insulating properties, energy storage, and role in cell membrane composition. Proteins are emphasized for their importance in muscle building and their multifunctional roles in the immune system and as enzymes. Nucleic acids, including DNA and RNA, are introduced as carriers of genetic information, with their monomers, nucleotides, playing a crucial part in the coding of traits. The paragraph concludes with a mnemonic device, 'CHO, CHO, CHON, CHONP,' to help remember the elemental composition of these biomolecules, and encourages viewers to explore the structural arrangements of biomolecules for a better understanding of their functions.

Keywords

💡biomolecules

Biomolecules are large molecules that are essential for life. They are the focus of the video, which aims to explain the four major types that constitute all living organisms. In the script, biomolecules are described as the building components of life, highlighting their fundamental role in biological processes.

💡monomer

A monomer is defined as a building block or subunit of a larger molecule. In the context of the video, monomers are the fundamental units that make up the four major biomolecules. The script uses the analogy of building blocks to explain the concept of monomers, emphasizing their role in the composition of complex biological structures.

💡carbohydrates

Carbohydrates, often referred to as 'carbs' in the script, are a type of biomolecule that serves as a primary source of energy. The script explains that carbs are essential for quick energy, as exemplified by marathon runners who 'pasta load' before a race. The monomer of carbohydrates is a monosaccharide, which is integral to their structure and function.

💡lipids

Lipids, commonly known as fats, are another class of biomolecules with diverse functions. The script mentions that lipids are composed of fatty acids and glycerol as their monomers. They are crucial for insulation, energy storage, and forming cell membranes, as illustrated by the example of harp seals using blubber for warmth.

💡proteins

Proteins are biomolecules that are vital for muscle building and various other functions in the body. The script points out that proteins are made up of amino acids, which are their monomers. Proteins are highlighted for their role in the immune system and as enzymes, which are proteins that catalyze biochemical reactions.

💡nucleic acids

Nucleic acids, including DNA and RNA, are biomolecules that carry genetic information. The script explains that nucleic acids are composed of nucleotides as their monomers. They are essential for coding traits and directing cellular activities, as indicated by the example of consuming DNA when eating strawberries.

💡energy storage

Energy storage is a key function of certain biomolecules, particularly lipids and carbohydrates. The script illustrates this with the example of swimmers needing lipids for long-duration activities after carbohydrates are depleted. This concept is central to understanding how the body conserves and utilizes energy.

💡moderation

Moderation is emphasized in the script as an important aspect of health, especially in relation to lipids. It suggests that while lipids are necessary for various biological functions, an excessive amount can be detrimental to health, advocating for a balanced approach to their consumption.

💡DNA

DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is a type of nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions for the development and function of all living organisms. The script explains that DNA is present in every cell's nucleus and is crucial for the coding of traits, as demonstrated by the universal presence of DNA in food from once-living sources.

💡RNA

RNA, or ribonucleic acid, is another type of nucleic acid that works closely with DNA in the process of protein synthesis. While the script does not provide a detailed explanation of RNA, it is mentioned as part of the nucleic acids that will be further explored in genetics.

💡mnemonic device

The script introduces a mnemonic device, 'CHO, CHO, CHON, CHONP,' to help remember the major elements found in the four biomolecules. This tool aids in memorizing the composition of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, which is crucial for understanding their structure and function.

Highlights

Introduction to the concept of biomolecules as the building blocks of life.

Explanation of 'monomer' as the basic building block of biomolecules.

The four major biomolecules that constitute all life forms are introduced.

Carbohydrates are highlighted as an important and fast source of energy.

The monomer of carbohydrates, monosaccharides, is explained.

Lipids, also known as fats, are discussed with their dual building blocks: fatty acids and glycerol.

Lipids' role in insulation and long-term energy storage is emphasized.

Proteins are introduced as essential for muscle building and other vital functions.

Amino acids as the monomers of proteins are described.

Nucleic acids, including DNA and RNA, are introduced with their monomer, the nucleotide.

DNA's role in coding for proteins and its presence in all living organisms is explained.

The importance of biomolecule structure in predicting properties and functions is discussed.

A mnemonic device (CHO, CHO, CHON, CHONP) is provided to remember the major elements in biomolecules.

The significance of the arrangement of elements in biomolecules and its impact on function is highlighted.

A call to action for viewers to explore biomolecule arrangement illustrations on Google.

The transcript concludes with a reminder from the Amoeba Sisters to stay curious.

Transcripts

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I want you to think for a moment about your very favorite food. What is it? Pizza? Macaroni

and cheese? Chicken Salad? Sushi? Well we all have different food preferences, but food

is a source of large molecules that are needed for life called biomolecules. There are 4

major biomolecules that make up all of life, and this will be the focus of this video.

Before we get into details about the 4 biomolecules, we need to talk about one very important vocabulary

word. The word monomer. A monomer is a building block – if I had some large

substance, the parts that make up that substance are called monomers. Just like building blocks.

We're going to talk a lot about monomers today, because we need to understand what the biomolecules are made of.

And we need to understand biomolecules, because they're building components of life.

So let’s introduce the 4 biomolecules now and talk a little bit about their functions. We'll start with carbohydrates.

Carbs. Well carbs are something you have probably heard about when people are talking

about diets. You know, they try to go low carb or maybe they want a lot of carbs...diets

always come and go. Pasta and breads are examples of foods heavy in carbohydrates. Carbs are

actually a very important source of energy. In fact, that's one big function of carbs.

They are a great, fast source of energy. If you were a marathon runner, you might want

to eat a lot of carbs the night before a race. Lots of marathon runners do this. It's called

pasta loading. They eat a big pasta dinner the night before they go out on their marathon.

Now carbs have a monomer- again, remember, monomers are building blocks. The monomer

for a carb is called a monosaccharide. I know that's a big mouthful but monosaccharides

make up carbohydrates.

Next one up is a diverse group known as lipids. Lipids are better known as fats.

They have 2 different types of building blocks. One type of building block is called a fatty acid and the other type is called a glycerol.

Now examples of lipids include butter, oil, and cholesterol. Lipids, though, they have a lot of great functions. You

may think well that's fat...how good can fat be? Well it just depends when you put it into

context. For example, you know those really adorable seals that you see on calendars?

They have this fluffy white hair. They're actually called a harp seal. Well they

actually only look like that when they're babies. When they get older, they're not quite

as cute. But in their little baby stage, they actually have a lot of this hair that they're born

with that help keep them warm. But over time, they have to develop blubber. It's fat and

it helps keep them warm. Lipids are great for insulating. Also you might not think about

fats as being related to energy, but fats are a great source of long term energy. They

can store energy for a long, long time. Say for example you wanted to swim the English

Channel. That's like 21 miles of swimming. The fastest swimmers might be able to do that

in 7 or 8 hours but it might take a lot longer than that for the average swimmer. More like

25 hours, and that's a lot of swimming. Well you would want to make sure that your body

has enough lipids- enough stored fat- that it can pull upon. Because after you burn off those

carbohydrates (remember carbs are the fast source of energy), you might not have enough energy

storage unless you have some lipids on hand. Lipids also make up cell membranes so they

are very important for life because all living things are made of cells. Of course an excessive amount of lipids could be a bad

thing for your health. Remember it's all about moderation.

Ok, next, proteins! When you hear about proteins, a lot of times you might think about protein

bars. They say they have lots of protein in them and that they help with muscle building.

Well protein is great for muscle building. Examples of foods that are high in protein include

meats and many types of beans. The monomers of protein are amino acids. So sometimes you

see these labels that say, "This has 20 amino acids in this food." Really they're just trying

to say that it has protein, and proteins are made up of amino acids so that's just some

fancy advertising for you. But in addition to it being important for muscle development, protein

is also very important in other functions such as working in the immune system and acting

as enzymes. Remember enzymes are made of proteins so proteins are important for the body.

Now when we start talking about genes - the DNA genes not the jeans you wear- the DNA codes

for proteins that are very important for structure and function in the body.

The last big biomolecule is known as a nucleic acid. Nucleic acids include DNA and RNA, which

we'll get to when we get to genetics. They have a monomer called a nucleotide. That's

going to be an easy one for you to remember because nucleotide sounds a lot like nucleic acid.

If considering DNA and RNA, both of these are involved in genetic information for the

coding of your traits. They are found in a lot of your food, because whenever you eat

something that came from something once living, it can still contain the DNA. For example,

when you eat a strawberry, you're actually consuming all the cells that make up that

strawberry. In the nucleus of all of those strawberry cells is DNA. Plants and animals

both have DNA. In fact, any type of life must contain nucleic acids like DNA to direct the cells'

activities.

So we just powered through introducing the 4 biomolecules by providing examples, exploring

their monomers, and giving some general functions. One last very important part to mention is

the structure of these biomolecules. Understanding the structure can help with predicting their

properties and easily being able to identify them. One thing I like to tell students to

do is to write the 4 biomolecules in this same order we went through: carbs, lipids,

proteins, and nucleic acids. Then remember this mnemonic device that goes with these

4 biomolecules. CHO, CHO, CHON, CHONP. Instead of chomp at the end with a "m," it's chomp with an "n.”

The c stands for carbon, the h stands for hydrogen, the o for oxygen. So carbs, lipids,

proteins, and nucleic acids all have that CHO in there. It's just that proteins and

nucleic acids also have an N which is nitrogen and nucleic acids additionally have a P which

is for phosphorous. So again CHO, CHO, CHON, CHONP---the major elements in the 4 biomolecules.

Now these elements are arranged differently in the 4 biomolecules---such as a ring arrangement

or a chain arrangement. It’s important to explore the arrangement of the elements in

biomolecules, because the structure of that arrangement greatly impacts the biomolecule

function. So to the Google to discover some biomolecule arrangement illustrations. Well

that's it for the Amoeba Sisters and we remind you to stay curious.