Macromolecules

∞ generated and posted on 2020.08.30 ∞

Especially consideration of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids.

Macromolecules, as the name implies, are relatively large molecules. They are also relatively complex molecules especially in terms of their structures—no boringly repetitive crystaline matrices here. Among macromolecules, as found in all biological systems, especially are the carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins as well as nucleic acids. Understanding what these substances look like and how they function are the first steps toward understanding biochemistry, which in turn is one of the first steps toward understanding how life functions at molecular as well as cellular levels.

This page addresses some or all of the following terms: Amino acid, Polypeptide, Peptide bond, Protein, Transition state, Allosteric inhibition, Competitive inhibition, Macromolecule, Hydrolysis, Dehydration synthesis, Carbohydrate, Sugar, Monosaccharide, Disaccharide, Polysaccharide, Starch, Glycogen, Cellulose, Lipid, Fatty acid, Fat, Saturated fatty acid, Unsaturated fatty acid, Cholesterol.

See Macromolecule for further discussion.

The above video is a nice if slightly overly simplistic introduction the macromolecules, or biological molecules as Hank Green puts it.

The above video basically covers the chemistry of industrial polymers and as such is barely applicable to biology and biochemistry, but still, if you want to learn more about polymers more generally, here you go!

The above video is an excellent introduction to proteins especially as viewed from a dietary perspective.

The above video is an excellent introduction to proteins as macromolecules.

The above video is a very short introduction to proteins as macromolecules.

The above video illustrates basic issues of enzyme functioning along with inhibition of enzyme activity.

The above video goes into slightly more detail regarding especially allosteric inhibition. Mentioned also are enzyme 'accelerators' which I would instead call activators.

The above video is an excellent introduction to carbohydrates especially as viewed from a dietary perspective.

The above video is another nice video introducing the biochemistry/chemistry of carbohydrates. Note, though, that starting at 3:10 Mr. Anderson gets his chemistry wrong in terms of chemical formulas by neglecting that dehydration synthesis has occurred to connect together the individual monosaccharide monomers making the more complex carbohydrates.

The above video gets heavy duty into the biochemistry/chemistry of carbohydrates. It actually doesn't provide too much more than the previous videos, but is more explicit in terms of chemical structures as well as descriptions of chemical bonds.

This is an excerpt on high-fructose corn syrup from a lecture I gave on diet and nutrition.

The above video is an excellent introduction to lipids especially as viewed from a dietary perspective.

The above video also is a nice overview of lipids.

The above video discusses how two-stroke engines work (e.g., as run chainsaws). The point is that enzymes are 'little machines' so it can be helpful, towards understanding the functioning of enzymes, just how an actual machine works.