Chapter 9: Biomolecules

Ans:  Chemical compounds, which are found in the acid-insoluble fraction are called macromolecules or biomacromolecules. As suggestive of its name, its molecular weights lie above \[1000\] Dalton. Consequently, micro molecules have molecular weights of less than \[1000\] Daltons. 

Examples of macromolecules are—proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates, etc. Except for lipids, all the other macromolecules including carbohydrates, proteins, and nucleic acids are polymeric substances.

Solution coming soon.

Ans:  The structures of ten different small molecular weight biomolecules are given below.

Glucose:

Fructose:

Cholesterol:

Ribose:

Deoxyribose:

Tyrosine:

Tryptophan:

Melatonin:

Adenine:

Guanine:

Many industries manufacture compounds by the process of isolation. Some examples are given below.

Ans: A list of proteins used as therapeutic agents are given below.

• Both plants and animals give the appropriate proteinaceous materials for the preparation of cosmetic items. Proteins from algae and fungi, though, are also increasingly being utilized as protein sources.

• High-protein plants most widely used as beginning material for making vegetable proteins are wheat and corn gluten, rice, soy, and oat protein concentrates, and defatted oilseeds (almond, peanuts, sunflower). Among the larger variety of vegetable proteins, soy globulins and wheat gluten are by far of the widest use. Wheat gluten (often just known as wheat protein) is a distinctive cereal protein of high elasticity when hydrated. Soy proteins are useful because of their thickening and emulsifying effects.

Ans: Triglycerides are a type of lipids found in living beings, that are synthesised due to the esterification of three fatty acids with a glycerol molecule. These are also called fats and oils based on their melting points.

Oils have lower melting points as compared to fats. The three fatty acids may be different or the same. Therefore, they may be known as simple or mixed.

Ans: Yes, we can create models of biomolecules using commercially available atomic models.

Ans: The structure of alanine is given below.

Ans: Gums are made up of carbohydrates and chemically they are heteropolysaccharides. 

Fevicol is polyvinyl alcohol glue. It is different from natural gums as it is a synthetic product.

Ans:

i. A qualitative test for proteins: Xanthoproteic test

ii. A qualitative test for fats: Emulsification test

iii. A qualitative test for oils: Paper test

iv. A qualitative test for starch: Iodine test

Ans: Most paper is formed from wood pulp. The major component of wood pulp is cellulose, a polymer made of several glucose molecules linked together. The cellulose molecules and their bonding to each other give the paper its properties. Nearly \[33\% \] of everything in the plant matter is cellulose. The cellulose content of wood is \[40 - 50\% \]and that of cotton is\[90\% \]. For industrial use, cellulose is mostly obtained from cotton and wood pulp. It is used primarily to produce paper and paperboard; to a smaller extent. It is converted into a large variety of derivative products like rayon and cellophane.