PHYL 142 | Digestive | Biological Macromolecules

Anatomy & Physiology with Dr. J11 minutes read

Biological macromolecules like carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids are essential for nutrition, with different structures and functions, offering varying caloric values. Enzymes play a crucial role in breaking down these macromolecules for energy metabolism, with cholesterol having minimal caloric value despite being listed on nutrition labels.

Insights

  • Carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids are the main biological macromolecules present in nutrition labels, each playing a crucial role in the body's functions and energy production.
  • While carbohydrates and proteins offer 4 calories per gram, fats provide more than double the energy. Cholesterol, despite being listed on nutrition labels, has minimal caloric value and is not efficiently metabolized for energy production, highlighting its unique role in the body's processes.

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Recent questions

  • What are the main categories of biological macromolecules?

    Carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, nucleic acids.

  • How do enzymes contribute to the breakdown of macromolecules?

    Enzymes like amylase, protease, lipases break down carbohydrates, proteins, lipids.

  • What is the caloric value of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats?

    Carbohydrates and proteins provide 4 calories per gram, fats offer more than twice.

  • What are the components of triglycerides?

    Triglycerides are formed by glycerol and three fatty acids.

  • Why is cholesterol listed on nutrition labels despite having negligible caloric value?

    Cholesterol is listed on nutrition labels for health considerations.

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Summary

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"Biological Macromolecules: Nutrition Labels and Metabolism"

  • Biological macromolecules are categorized into carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, commonly found on nutrition labels.
  • Carbohydrates consist of monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides, with different arrangements like amylose and starch.
  • Proteins are made up of 20 amino acids linked by peptide bonds, forming polypeptides like hemoglobin with four chains.
  • Nucleic acids, like DNA and RNA, are polymers of nucleotides determining genetic information through base sequences.
  • Fats and lipids include fatty acids, triglycerides, and cholesterol, with triglycerides formed by glycerol and three fatty acids.
  • Enzymes like amylase break down carbohydrate polymers, protease digest polypeptides, and lipases metabolize triglycerides.
  • Carbohydrates provide 4 calories per gram, proteins also provide 4 calories per gram, while fats offer more than twice the calories.
  • Cholesterol has negligible caloric value as it is not efficiently metabolized for energy, despite being listed on nutrition labels for health considerations.
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