AP Biology / Unit 1: Chemistry of Life
1.4 Properties of Macromolecules
Notes
Structure determines function. The order and type of monomers matter.
- Carbohydrates: energy (starch, glycogen) and structure (cellulose, chitin). Bond orientation changes function: starch vs cellulose.
- Monomers have directionality: proteins have N- and C-termini; nucleic acids have 5′ and 3′ ends.
Practice
Humans can digest starch but not cellulose because:
Both are glucose polymers; our enzymes fit only starch's bonds.
Glycogen is used by animals for:
Branched glucose storage.
Nucleic acid strands have:
Directionality matters for replication.
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