Mention a benefit/function for each of the carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids.
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Answer:
All biological functions depend on events that occur at the molecular level. These events are directed, modulated, or detected by complex biological machines, which are themselves large molecules or clusters of molecules. Included are proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, lipids, and complexes of them. Many areas of biological science focus on the signals detected by these machines or the output from these machines. The field of structural biology is concerned with the properties and behavior of the machines themselves. The ultimate goals of this field are to be able to predict the structure, function, and behavior of the machines from their chemical formulas, through the use of basic principles of chemistry and physics and knowledge derived from studies of other machines. Although we are still a long way from these goals, enormous progress has been made during the past two decades. Because of recent advances, primarily in recombinant DNA technology, computer science, and biological instrumentation, we should begin to realize the goals of structural biology during the next two decades.
Much of biological research still begins as descriptive science. A curious phenomenon in some living organism sparks our interest, perhaps because it is reminiscent of some previously known phenomenon, perhaps because it is inexplicable in any terms currently available to us. The richness and diversity of biological phenomena have led to the danger of a biology overwhelmed with descriptions of phenomena and devoid of any unifying principles. Unlike the rest of biology, structural biology is in the unique position of having its unifying principles largely known. They derive from basic molecular physics and chemistry. Rigorous physical theory and powerful experimental techniques already provide a deep understanding of the properties of small molecules. The same principles, largely intact, must suffice to explain and predict the properties of the larger molecules. For example, proteins are composed of linear chains of amino acids, only 20 different types of which regularly occur in proteins. The properties of proteins must be determined by the amino acids they contain and the order in which they are linked. While these properties may become complex and far removed from any property inherent in single amino acids, the existence of a limited set of fundamental building blocks restricts the ultimate functional properties of proteins.
Nucleic acids are potentially simpler than proteins since they are composed of only four fundamental types of building blocks, called bases, linked to each other through a chain of sugars and phosphates. The sequence of these bases in the DNA of an organism constitutes its genetic information. This sequence determines all of the proteins an organism can produce, all of the chemical reactions it can carry out, and, ultimately, all of the behavior the organism can reveal in response to its environment.
Carbohydrates and lipids are intermediate in complexity between nucleic acids and proteins. We currently know less about them, but this deficit is rapidly being eliminated.
The central focus in structural biology at present is the three-dimensional arrangement of the atoms that constitute a large biological molecule. Two decades ago this information was available for only several proteins and one nucleic acid, and each three-dimensional structure determined was a landmark in biology. Today such structures are determined routinely, and we have begun to see structures of not just individual large molecules, but whole arrays of such molecules. The first three-dimensional structures were each consistent with our expectations based on fundamental physics and chemistry. Most of the structures determined subsequently, however, were completely unrelated, and a large body of descriptive structural data began to emerge as more and more structures were revealed by x-ray crystallography. From newer data, patterns of three-dimensional structures have begun to emerge; it is now clear that most if not all structures will eventually fit into rational categories.
Carbohydrates are your body's main source of fuel. When you take in food, your body breaks down its sugars and starches and absorbs them into your bloodstream. At this point, they become glucose, or blood sugar. Your body needs glucose to have the energy to do everything from breathing to weight training. In addition, your brain needs glucose to function properly. If you don't take in enough carbohydrates, you can become weak, lethargic and unable to focus on even simple tasks.
Lipids are present in every cell of the human body and are the main part of the cellular membrane. It prevents the cells from being leaky by surrounding them the perfect way.
Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage and skin. In fact, your hair and nails are comprised mostly of protein.
Nucleic acids are vital for cell functioning, and therefore for life. There are two types of nucleic acids, DNA and RNA