Lesson · C.5.1
Biological macromolecules
How carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids are built, named, and told apart on the HESI A2 Chemistry subtest.
ObjectiveC.5.1Read6 minExam weightBiochemistry ≈ 8% of Chemistry
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- Sort a molecule into one of the four macromolecule families from its building blocks alone
- Name the monomer and the bond that links it for carbohydrates, proteins, and nucleic acids
- State what each family is used for in the body, and connect that role to a clinical example
What the lesson concludes
- The four biological macromolecule families are carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids
- Each family (except lipids) is a polymer built from a repeating monomer: monosaccharides, amino acids, or nucleotides
- Carbohydrates and fats are the body's energy stores; proteins do the structural and enzymatic work; nucleic acids carry the instructions
- DNA and RNA differ in their sugar, their number of strands, and one base: thymine versus uracil
- The HESI A2 tests family identification and the monomer, bond, and role for each family more than it tests exact molecular formulas