What is a bio macro molecule?
Biomacromolecules can be found in every organism on Earth because they perform a multitude of different functions like constructing the organism’s body or storing energy. Biomacromolecules are molecules that contain both biologic and non-biologic functional groups. It is the combination of a macromolecule and a biomolecule. They are important in the functioning of living organisms because they regulate growth, development, energy metabolism, cell adhesion, embryonic morphogenesis, immune responses, and apoptosis.
Experiments related to biomacromolecules
In vitro experiments have shown that when a host cell can produce biomacromolecules effectively, it will be better equipped to fight off infections from bacteria or viruses. This can be accomplished by producing antimicrobial peptides (AMP) that target pathogens specifically while leaving normal cells unharmed.
Biomacromolecules act as signals
Biomacromolecules often acts as a signal in the cell. For example, how cells sense that they are starving or that there is too much food available is regulated through the use of macromolecules. They can also have an effect on non-cellular entities like the extracellular matrix (ECM). The ECM is responsible for anchoring and supporting cells within an organism and helping them form tissues.
Extra cellular matrix and macromolecules
The molecules forming the ECM are called proteoglycans and include collagen, elastin, and fibronectin. These biomacromolecules have an important role because they help cells to adhere to one another. Macromolecules like the proteoglycans in the ECM are responsible for controlling cell and tissue growth and migration. When tissue has been formed, macromolecules are used to bind cells to one another, and these macromolecules help hold tissues together.
Structure of a biomacromolecule
The structure of a biomacromolecule is complex because it can be made up of different types of biologic and non-biologic functional groups. These functional groups include carbonyl, carboxyl, hydroxyl, amide, or phosphate. The way these biomacromolecules react with each other is similar to how normal biological molecules react.
Where are biomacromolecules found?
Biomacromolecules are mostly found in organisms because they help them function. However, they are also important to humans because they regulate many body functions like growth and development.
For example, a biomacromolecule called insulin is used to regulate the amount of sugar a person needs. If people do not have enough insulin, their cells cannot take in glucose from food, and the body becomes starved of energy.
The following is a list of biomacromolecules that humans have
1. Catecholamines
Used for both hormone and neurotransmitter functions. They include adrenaline, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. These are also called adrenergic receptors in some organisms.
2. Insulin
Used for regulating glucose levels in the body and may be called “the hormone of life.” It is composed of an amino acid (proteins cannot be made from just one amino acid) called insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1).
3. Vitamin D
Helps the body to absorb Calcium and Phosphorus.
4. Intact Protein
A specific protein that has a biological function. It is composed of amino acid chains that may be four, five, or six hundred amino acids long.
5. Antibodies
The immune system uses antibodies to fight off infections, allergies, and other diseases such as cancer.
6. Glycogen
A storage form of glucose in human liver and muscle tissue; also found in plants and fungi.
7. Lactose
Carbohydrates found in milk.
8. Lipids
Important ingredient of the cell membrane, can be found in fat.
9. Lipoproteins
A group of proteins; named because they appear as individual entities in a blood sample; they carry lipids and small proteins between different cells throughout the body.
10. Retinoids
Used by the skin and other tissues to build collagen and hydroxylase that help make DNA; vitamin A (retinoic acid) is also known as Vitamin A or α-carotene.
11. Transferrin
Protein used for iron transport across cell membranes to tissue that needs iron also has uses as an antioxidant in the body.
12. Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)
A protein made by the immune system that kills cancer cells.
13. WNT
Protein used by the body for cell-to-cell communication and signaling in development; it is also used for communication between cells of different kinds within an organism. It is composed of amino acids and carbon dioxide with some phosphate esters useful as phospholipids.
14. Catechol
Used to produce catecholamines (adrenaline and adrenaline) hormones; also found in some neurotransmitters like acetylcholine, dopamine, and serotonin.
15. Lipids
Used to store food and makeup cell membranes. Depending on the conditions, it can be either a liquid or a solid (body temperature is usually around 37 °C). Can move from one place to another by diffusion.
16. Proteins
Macromolecules made of amino acids that help build tissues, transport substances throughout the body, sense stimuli in the body, and form antibodies. They can also have structural roles by forming fibers like collagen and elastin proteins.
17. Vitamins
Important nutrients that play many roles in supporting the body’s activities. Vitamins are small chemical compounds that are essential for life, and they can be found in food and made by the body.
18. Erythropoietin
Used to stimulate the production of erythrocytes (red blood cells) in bone marrow, also called EPO for short.
19. Platelets
Protect against damage to the blood vessel wall by forming a plug that seals off bleeding when it occurs, also called PLT for short.
20. Hormones
Substances secreted by the body from within cells that serve as messengers to the outside world.
21. Proteoglycans
Biomacromolecule made up of many different proteins, usually linked together in a ring.
22. Hyaluronan
An important component of the extracellular matrix (ECM), it has a large number of biochemical functions, including transporting, storing, and hydrolyzing water, also called hyaluronan for short. It is composed of multiple chains (polysaccharides) and can form strong bonds with other molecules such as sulphation groups (S).
23. G-Coupled Protein Receptor
Part of a group of receptors activated by hormones, can also be found in Odorant Receptors, Growth Hormone Receptors, and many others.
24. Integrin
Protein used for binding cells that are very close to each other and helping them stick together as well as regulating cell movement.
Biomacromolecules continued
This is just a small list compared to all of the different biomacromolecules that exist in nature. The human body has about 100 trillion cells, and in each cell, there are thousands of biomacromolecules. Hundreds of more proteins, carbohydrates, lipids (waxes), nucleic acids, sugars, and water form these macromolecules.
Biomacromolecules are vital to the function of all life because they allow organisms to respond effectively to their environment. Like most plants and animals, mammals are able to store energy in biomacromolecules like fat. Like many other organisms, humans prefer to eat fats because they are an efficient way of storing energy as well as providing essential nutrients that aid in the growth of cells and maintaining a healthy metabolism. Human fat is made up of fatty acids and glycerol bonded together with proteins that give it a yellow color.
The body makes up a large component of fat around the liver and helps control hunger, fat storage, blood cholesterol levels, and produces hormones that affect how we feel. The brain also contains high concentrations of fat in areas that require a lot of energy, like neurons in the cerebrum and the mammillary bodies. The percentage of fat accumulation depends on both caloric intake as well as individual genetics. There are people who have higher levels of body fat than others, while others have very little.
Fat contributes to weight gain because it takes more calories to maintain a larger mass than when a smaller mass is maintained. Humans do not store energy in biomacromolecules in all their cells; only certain types contain fats, and others do not. For instance, neither nerve cells nor skin cells contain fats. This is because fatty acids can be used for quick energy but are not very efficient for long-term energy storage.
This means that fat cannot be relied upon to provide essential functions in the cell during times when food is scarce. Fat provides stability and cushioning for organs like the kidneys and brain, which means they would not function well if they did not contain some fat. The liver produces a large number of biomacromolecules to aid in the digestion and absorption of fats, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, and minerals because these substances serve as an important source of nutrients necessary for survival.
