11th Biology Chapter 9

– How to Analyse Chemical Composition

Summary: In order to analyze the chemical composition of living tissues, one needs to extract compounds, subject the extract to various separation techniques to isolate a compound, and then apply analytical techniques to determine the molecular formula and structure of the compound.

– Primary and Secondary Metabolites

Summary: Living systems primarily contain proteins, nucleic acids, and polysaccharides as macromolecules, with lipids associated with membranes. Primary metabolites have identifiable functions, while thousands of compounds found in plants, fungi, and microbes are categorized as secondary metabolites.

– Biomacromolecules

Summary: Biomacromolecules are polymers made of building blocks such as amino acids (proteins), nucleotides (RNA and DNA), and polysaccharides. Proteins have various cellular functions like enzymes and antibodies, while nucleic acids serve as genetic material.

– Enzymes

Summary: Enzymes are proteins that catalyze biochemical reactions in cells by lowering the activation energy, thereby enhancing the reaction rate. Enzymes exhibit substrate specificity, require optimal temperature and pH for activity, and can undergo denaturation at high temperatures【4:1†source】【4:2†source】.