The first important thing to note is that not all ions are molecules. A molecule is two or more atoms bound together, and many ions that have important functions in the body are just single atoms that have gained or lost electrons and have an electric charge. But they come under the biological molecules topic... Continue Reading →
We've already looked at the monomers that make up a protein: amino acids. But fully functioning 3D proteins are much more complex in structure than a simple polypeptide chain. Today we will look at the different levels of structure in proteins and some specific examples. Levels of protein structure So let's start with a quick... Continue Reading →
Last week we looked at glucose and disaccharides, which are simple carbohydrates. However, many carbohydrate molecules are made up of long chains of monosaccharides joined together to form polysaccharides. Today we will look at polysaccharides made from glucose. We saw in the last article that to form the disaccharide maltose, two glucose molecules are joined... Continue Reading →
Glucose is a really important carbohydrate for living organisms because it is a reactant in respiration. It is a monosaccharide - a single sugar monomer that can be used to build other types of carbohydrates called polysaccharides. We will cover polymers of glucose in a separate article - today we will look at the structure... Continue Reading →
Water is extremely important to living organisms. Not only is it needed internally, but also externally as part of the environment - some organisms live in it. It is also a reactant in photosynthesis, so contributes to the oxygen in the atmosphere. In short, water is essential for life as we know it. Structure of... Continue Reading →
Today we are looking at adenosine triphosphate, often just abbreviated to ATP because as with most scientific terms, it's a bit of a mouthful. This molecule is very important in providing a quick source of energy for processes in cells. Let's have a closer look at its structure and function. Structure of ATP ATP is... Continue Reading →
Lipids are a particular interest of mine as my PhD was based on fat metabolism. They have important functions in the body, and can be both friend and foe. Fatty Acids Fatty acids all have the same basic structure, but have a variable R group which is a long hydrocarbon chain. If there are no... Continue Reading →
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. In this series we have already seen how nucleotides are the monomers joined together to make polynucleotide chains in DNA and RNA. Similarly, in proteins, amino acids are the monomers joined together to make polypeptide chains. Structure Firstly, let's look at the structure of an amino acid.... Continue Reading →
Most people have heard of DNA, but ribonucleic acid (RNA) is its lesser known cousin. They have many similar features, but quite different functions. There are different types of RNA, the three main types being messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). If you have been following the cell organelle series, you... Continue Reading →
DNA is the abbreviation for deoxyribonucleic acid. A long word for an extremely long molecule; there is about two meters of DNA in each human cell. There is so much to say about this fascinating molecule, but here we will focus on the basic structure and function. DNA Introduction Firstly, where is DNA found? In... Continue Reading →
