Macromolecules

Macromolecules are large molecules that make up everything around us. These macromolecules are composed of smaller subunits known as monomers. Monomers come together to form macromolecules which are polymers of their monomer subunits. These polymers are built from monomers through a process known as dehydration synthesis (1). This happens when one monomer forms a covalent bond with another, forming a chain and releasing water as a by product. There are four different classes of macromolecules. They are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

The first class, carbohydrates, is made up of monosaccharides, which form into long chains known as polysaccharides. Carbohydrates are important to the human body system because it is where the majority of the body's energy comes from (2). The body uses these foods to make glucose, an important energy source.

The second class, lipids, are molecules that contain hydrocarbons, which make up the building blocks of living cells. Lipids are important because they store the energy that our cells need to perform daily functions.

The next essential macromolecule, called proteins, basically dictate the function of the cell. Proteins can serve as a catalyst, transport and/or store other molecules, control growth and differentiation (3).

To identify the presence of different molecules, you can use a variety of tests. For this experiment, we used the Lipid Test which consists of determining if a certain liquid will leave a grease stain (indicating it is in fact a lipid), to test for lipids, The Simple Sugar Test to test for glucose using Benedict’s solution , and lastly, the Protein test using Biuret Reagent, to identify proteins. Unknown samples in this experiment were tested with different methods describe above to identify their contents.