Biomolecules Used for Energy

Biomolecules are organic molecules found in plants and animals. Such molecules contain solar energy that is used as a life source on Earth. While several biomolecules are used to generate energy, lipids and carbohydrates are vital energy sources commonly studied in laboratories.

About Lipids

• Lipids are nonpolar biomolecules that do not dissolve in water. Within the human body, lipids serve as cell membranes. It is believed by some scientists that such membranes became the origin of life through random reactions. According to this theory, lipids generated enough energy to create life by reacting to atmospheric conditions. Constructing lipid membrane structures in the laboratory involves mixing hydrocarbons and water.

Types

• Lipids are represented in several forms. Fatty acids are lipids with long hydrocarbon chains used to store and transfer energy. Triglycerides are lipids that are bonded with oil or fat. These molecules are also used to store energy. Waxes are lipids bonded with alcohol that provide waterproof covering on leaves and plant stems. Phospholipids are a principle component of cell membranes capable of transporting in and out of different cells.

About Carbs

• Carbohydrates are primarily identified as sugars and polymers. The biomolecules have the important task of producing energy and creating energy cycles. There are several types of carbohydrates that include monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides. While monosaccharides are solely composed of sugar, disaccharides and polysaccharides are made of sugars and other chemical mixes. Polysaccharides are typically classified as having hundreds of glycogen, starch and cellulose monosaccharides.

In the Lab

• Similar to lipids, carbohydrates are not difficult to create in a laboratory. A simple mixture can be created with little effort. There are, however, some instances in which composing origin-of-life models containing carbohydrates becomes difficult. Including ribose in the combination has been problematic in past experiments because the chemical does not properly bond with other nucleotide. You should plan for several attempts when constructing a carbohydrate model in the laboratory.