NEET Chemistry Notes Biomolecules – Concept of Biomolecules
Concept of Biomolecules
Concept of Biomolecules
Biomolecules are the complex lifeless organic substances. These build up living organisms and are required for their growth and maintenance. Carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, etc., are the examples of biomolecules. Vitamins and mineral salts also play an important role in functions of organisms.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are optically active polyhydroxy aldehydes or ketones or compounds which produce such units on hydrolysis.
Classification of Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are also known as saccharides and classified according to their behaviour towards hydrolysis.
Monosaccharides
A carbohydrate that cannot be hydrolysed further to give simpler units is called monosaccharide, e.g. glucose, fructose, galactose are hexose while ribose and arabinose are pentose.
All monosaccharides are reducing sugars, commonly known as glucose.
Glycolysis is the anaerobic degradation of glucose into two molecules of pyruvic acid.
Structure of Glucose
- Fischer Projections
- Haworth Structures
have different configuration at anomeric (C-l) carbon atom, hence are called anomers.
While the pair of diastereomeric aldoses, e.g. glucose and mannose that differ only in configuration about C-2 are called epimers. Glucose and galactose differ in configuration at C-4 are called C-4 epimers