Table of Contents
Groups of Biomolecules in Biology: Carbohydrates Nucleic Acids Proteins Lipids Guide
Identify the four large biomolecules—carbohydrates, nucleic acids, proteins, lipids—essential for cell structure, energy, genetics, and function, excluding vitamins/minerals, for General Biology exam success.
Question
Which of the following groups of compounds constitutes the four large biomolecules of life?
A. Proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids and vitamins
B. Proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and vitamins
C. Carbohydrates, nucleic acids, proteins and lipids
D. Lipids, nucleic acids, minerals and vitamins
Answer
C. Carbohydrates, nucleic acids, proteins and lipids
Explanation
The four major biomolecules, or biological macromolecules, essential to life consist of carbohydrates (polymers like starch and cellulose providing energy storage and structural support via glucose monomers), nucleic acids (DNA and RNA storing and transmitting genetic information through nucleotide chains), proteins (polypeptides from amino acids enabling enzymatic catalysis, structural roles, transport, and signaling), and lipids (fats, phospholipids, and steroids handling energy reserves, membrane formation, and hydrophobic barriers). These macromolecules form the foundational components of cells, comprising most dry cell mass through dehydration synthesis from smaller organic monomers containing primarily carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur, while vitamins and minerals serve regulatory roles but are not classified among these large structural polymers.