Biological Molecules: Carbon, Polymers, and Carbohydrates

Core Biological Molecules: Carbon, Polymers, and Carbohydrates

Fundamental Biological Processes

• Cellular Respiration: The process of breaking down food to release energy, primarily carried out by consumers (heterotrophs) and also by plants (which possess mitochondria).

• Photosynthesis: The process of converting light energy into chemical energy (food)

  • Primarily carried out by producers (autotrophs).

  • The majority of Earth's photosynthesis is performed by single-cellular plankton (phytoplankton) in bodies of water, producing more oxygen than rainforests.

• Interconnection: These two reactions are the major natural forms of energy and food production, use, and biomass acquisition, primarily transferring carbon and sugar between organisms in food webs (e.g., glucose).

The Significance of Carbon in Biological Molecules

• Versatility: Carbon's versatility is a key reason why the four key biological molecules (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids) all contain it as a major component.

• Biomass: Acquiring food, which is mostly carbon (e.g., glucose), leads to the creation of biological structures (DNA, sugars, lipids, proteins) that are also made of carbon.

• Organic Chemistry: All these essential molecules are fundamentally