Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are made up of carbon, hydrogren, and oxygen atoms. They are usually found in a 1:2:1 ratio. Carbohydrates are the main soure of energy. Some organisms also use carbohydrates for structural purposes. In the cell membrane, carbohydrates act as little "ID tags" telling other cells what the cell is for. Nucleic Acids Nucleic acids make up the codons of DNA. They are the only macromolecule that does not have a job in the cell membrane. Instead, they give instructions to the rest of the cell. Three nucleic acids make up one codon on a strand of DNA. Each codon guides one amino acid to its place and thus this makes nucleic acids one of the most important items in a cell. Like proteins, nucleic acids contain all the atoms essential to life as well as phosphorus. |
Lipids Lipids are made mostly from carbon and hydrogen atoms. Their most obvious use in a cell is making up the cell membrane, which protects the cell from the outside world. This is not their only purpose though as lipids can also be used to store energy. Many steroids are also lipids and some steroids, such as hormones, serve as chemical messengers. Proteins Proteins in a cell do many different tasks. Some control the rate of reactions and regulate cell processes. Others form important structures, while others, such as those in the cell membrane, port substances into or out of an object to help fight disease. Proteins contain all of the atoms essential to life and are made of one or more polypeptide. |
