What are macromolecules?

There's an old saying, "You are what you eat." In some senses, this is literally true! When we eat food, we take in the large biological molecules found in the food, including carbohydrates, proteins, lipids (such as fats), and nucleic acids (such as DNA), and use them to power our cells and build our bodies. read more

A macromolecule is a large molecule created by a form of polymerization, or the process of creating polymer chains out of polymeric materials. Each molecule, which makes up most of the body, contains these essential polymeric materials. There are four fundamental types of macromolecules, which are essential for living. read more

The most common macromolecules in biochemistry are biopolymers (nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates and lipids) and large non-polymeric molecules (such as lipids and macrocycles). Synthetic macromolecules include common plastics and synthetic fibers as well as experimental materials such as carbon nanotubes. read more