1. The individual pieces that make them are called monomers.
2 monomers make a dimer
3 make a trimer ...
many together form a polymer
Roughly different monomers combine to make up the thousands of different macromolecules present in the cells.
The 4 main classes are: lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, and nucleic acids.
Can be formed through a condensation reaction called dehydration synthesis
Can be separated through hydrolysis
Macromolecules

2. Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are sugars. Sugars can be single units which are monosaccharides (simple sugars), as disaccharides, or as long chains which are polysaccharides.
Each monosaccharide is added through the process of dehydration synthesis forming a glycosidic linkage

3. Monosaccharides
monos - single, sacchar – sugar… Often called simple sugars
empirical formula of (CH2O)n
Molecular formula C6H12O6 (Glucose)
contains a carbonyl group and multiple hydroxyl groups
end is suffix -ose
aldose sugar…end carbonyl unit –
ketose …middle carbonyl unit
forms a hexagonal ring (hexose), other common rings are triose and pentose
Glucose, Galactose, & Fructose are common isomers

4. Common Disaccharides
Disaccharides are formed through the process of dehydration synthesis.
They are important as they are small enough to be absorbed intact through the small intestine directly into the bloodstream
Can be easily cleaved to release glucose to support metabolism

5. Starches
Starches are the polysaccharide storage form of the simple sugars found in the body
Starch is stored by plants
Glycogen is a branched polysaccharide stored in the muscles of animals
Both starch and glycogen are made exclusively of glucose, in an alpha arrangement, and can be used to release glucose into the circulatory system when the blood sugar drops
Cellulose is a structural polysaccharide much like starch but the orientation is a beta pleat causing a more condensed packaging that gives strength, support, and makes the molecule indigestible to most organisms
Chitin is a structural polysaccharide produced by arthropods to build exoskeletons

6. Lipids (fats)
Hydrophobic molecules formed by dehydration synthesis creating ester linkage
Made of glycerol (3C alcohol) and fatty acids (long hydrocarbon chains)
Triglyceride is the most common form consisting of a glycerol and 3 fatty acids

7. Saturated vs Unsaturated
A saturated fat has fatty acids containing no double bonds…it is holding as many H as possible
An unsaturated fat has at least 1 double bond (monounsaturated)
A polyunsaturated fatty acid contains many double bonds
Saturated vs Unsaturated

8. Phospholipids and Steroids
Phospholipids are a major component of cell walls.
Are a diglyceride with a phosphate molecule creating a hydrophilic and hydrophobic end
A steroid is a derivative of cholesterol and is used as a chemical messenger in animals