Biomolecule

Thursday, January 21, 2010

A biomolecule is any organic molecule that is produced by living organisms, including large polymeric molecules such as proteins, polysaccharides, and nucleic acids as well as small molecules such as primary metabolites, secondary metabolitess, and natural products.

As organic molecules, biomolecules consist primarily of carbon and hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen, and, to a smaller extent, phosphorus and sulfur. Other elements sometimes are incorporated but are much less common.

Types of biomolecules

A diverse range of biomolecules exist, including:

* Small molecules:
Lipid, phospholipid, glycolipid, sterol
Vitamin
Hormone, neurotransmitter
Carbohydrate, sugar
Disaccharide

* Monomers:
Amino acids
Nucleotides
Monosaccharides

* Polymers:
Peptides, oligopeptides, polypeptides, proteins
Nucleic acids, i.e. DNA, RNA
Oligosaccharides, polysaccharides (including cellulose)
Lignin

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