Question

1. macromolecules are also known as polymers.
2. if all the macromolecules are mainly made up of carbon (c), hydrogen (h) and oxygen (o), explain how are they different?

Explanation:

Macromolecules (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids) differ in:

1. Element ratios: Carbohydrates have a 1:2:1 C:H:O ratio; lipids have far more H relative to O; proteins/nucleic acids add N (and S for proteins, P for nucleic acids).
2. Monomer units: Carbohydrates use monosaccharides, lipids use fatty acids/glycerol, proteins use amino acids, nucleic acids use nucleotides.
3. Structure/function: Varied 3D shapes lead to distinct roles (e.g., energy storage for carbs/lipids, enzymatic work for proteins, genetic storage for nucleic acids).

Answer:

Macromolecules (like carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids) differ despite sharing C, H, O due to three key factors:

1. Different ratios of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (e.g., carbohydrates have a 1:2:1 C:H:O ratio, while lipids have a much higher proportion of hydrogen relative to oxygen).
2. Unique monomer building blocks (carbohydrates use monosaccharides, lipids use fatty acids and glycerol, proteins use amino acids, nucleic acids use nucleotides; proteins and nucleic acids also include additional elements like nitrogen, sulfur, or phosphorus).
3. Distinct 3-dimensional structures, which lead to their specialized biological functions (e.g., energy storage, enzymatic activity, genetic information storage).