Charles G. answered • 11/01/21
Research Scientist/Medical Educator and student advocate
Hailee did not ask a question but listed a number of important biomolecules. I assume she wants to know the difference between them.
Let me start with Amino Acids....these are the building blocks of proteins and are comprised of 21 different types. All AAs contain an amino group and a carboxyl group on each end and an 'R' group in the middle. There are 9 essential AA's that can not be produced by the body and must be received via nutrients. The remaining are conditional or non essential.. All proteins are made up of AAs. [Summary: Building blocks of organic life]
Polypeptides are a series of amino acids that make up a linear part of a protein. What this means is that protein is the 3-D representation of all of the amino acids that it contains while a smaller liner segment is noted as a peptide. So, a linear stretch of Amino Acids bonded together makes a polypeptide. Sometimes, for simple proteins the polypeptide can represent the whole protein. However, most often, polypeptides are just one small part of a protein. [Summary: parts or all of a protein]
Carbohydrates are biomolecules that are made up of chains of Oxygen, Carbon and Hydrogen atoms (often in the form of C(H2O)n. Carbohydrates differ from proteins in that they are often a source of energy and thus broken down to create ATP, etc. Common examples include - sugars, starches and cellulose. [Summary: the primary energy source of an organism]
DNA is also known as deoxyribonucleic acid. DNA is comprised of four different nucleotides (the fundamental blocks of DNA) known as Adenine, Cytosine, Thymidine, and Guanine. These combine in such a way to form a sequence of DNA. DNA is formed as a helix with nucleotides that are paired (A - T and C -G). DNA is the fundamental components of the encoded genes in the body. [Summary: the instructions for the body]
Please note that DNA encodes for proteins but through a temporary product known as RNA.
Thus, DNA --> RNA --> Protein
