Tag: cell biology and biotechnology

Biomolecules are basically all the carbon compounds obtained from the living tissue. All the major components that make up a living being that is the carbohydrate, proteins, lipids contain carbon in one form or the other.

The cellulose micromolecules are small in size and have low molecular weights which is less than 1000 daltons. They have simple molecular structure and often high solubility in the intracellular fluid. These include inorganic compounds such as water, mineral salts, and gases as well as organic compounds such as sugars, lipids, amino acids and nucleotides. The small molecules are the substrates and products of metabolism in the cell. The micromolecules act as building blocks for the macromolecules. 

Nucleo-proteinaceous structures are composed of nucleic acids (DNA or RNA) and proteins. Chromosomes (DNA+histones), viruses (DNA/RNA+capsid), and ribosomes (rRNA+proteins) fit this description.

• Body needs phosphorus to build and repair bones and teeth.
• It also helps nerves to function.
• Calcium is important on blood clotting, muscle contraction, and strengthening bones. 

Magnesium is an important macronutrient required by plants in large quantity. Magnesium is a constituent of chlorophyll pigment and is required as an essential cofactor for all the reactions catalysed by kinase enzymes like hexokinase. Magnesium is also important for structural integrity of ribosomes. Ribosomes are the cell organelles involved in protein synthesis.

The blood glucose level in body is tightly regulated by a number of mechanism. The normal blood glucose level in humans should not exceed 140 mg per decilitre after meals and is maintained between 70 to 100 mg per decilitre under fasting conditions without food. Glucose is a precious metabolite and, hence, is actively reabsorbed by the kidney tubules. Any excess quantity of glucose is converted into glycogen which is stored in liver and muscles. Any further excess is converted to fats and stored for long term deposit. In humans and most other mammals, acetyl CoA formed in the liver during oxidation of fatty acids may enter the citric acid cycle or may be converted to ketone bodies, i.e., acetoacetate, $\beta$-hydroxy-butyrate and acetone for export to other tissues. Overproduction of ketone bodies can occur in conditions of severe starvation and in uncontrolled diabetes.

The nerves responsible for sensing a stimulus and sending information about the stimulus to your central nervous system are called afferent neurons. The nerves that carry signals away from the central nervous system in order to initiate an action are called efferent neurons.

Sporopollenin is found in outer layer or exine of pollen grains. It is extremely resistant and can withstand extremes of temperature presumably as an adaptation to protect the male gametophyte. The exine is weak at few points where sporopollenin is missing. These are germ pores from where pollen germinates that is, pollen tube protrudes out during  germination.

Proteins are very versatile biomolecules performing different structural and functional roles. Proteins are also information molecules having amino acids joined together in a unique sequence which is decided by the sequence of nucleotides in nucleic acids DNA and RNA. Because different animals will have different sequence of nucleotides in DNA, the proteins synthesized in their body will also have different sequence of amino acids.