Biology 2-3: Carbon Compounds

Monomer

Small molecule that can chemically bond with other similar or identical molecules to form a larger chain called a polymer

Polymer

A large molecule composed of many repeating subunits, called monomers, that are linked together like a chain

Carbohydrate

Compounds made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms, usually in a ratio of 1:2:1

Monosaccharide

Single sugar molecules

Polysaccharides

Large macromolecules formed from monosaccharides

Lipid

Group of biological molecules that are generally not soluble in water. They are made mostly from carbon and hydrogen atoms

Nucleic acid

Macromolecules containing hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus. They are polymers assembled from individual monomers known as nucleotides

Nucleotides

The basic building block of nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA

What do nucleic acids do

Store and transmit hereditary, or genetic, information

RNA

Ribonucleic acid

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid

Protein

Macromolecules that contain nitrogen as well as carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen

Proteins are polymers of molecules called

Amino acids