Question

Based on drawings of the structures of biological molecules, what seem to be the common arrangements of atoms that make up biological molecules?

Answer 1

The biological molecules are made up of cells which are made from atoms. Each atom has a positively charged nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons. Living organisms are made from a small selection of these elements, four of which—carbon (C), hydrogen (H), nitrogen (N), and oxygen (O)—which constitute 96.5% of an organism's weight.  Stable bonds are formed by carbon with four other atoms which are specifically suited for the construction of complex molecules. These complex molecules are typically made up of chains and rings that contain hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen atoms, as well as carbon atoms. In specific arrays these molecules consist of anywhere from 10 to millions of atoms are linked together. Mostly all carbon-containing molecules in cells are built up from members of one of four different families of small organic molecules: sugars, amino acids, nucleotides, and fatty acids. 70% of a cell's mass is composed of macromolecules which primarily constitute proteins. An average-sized protein macromolecule is made up of about 400 amino acid molecules. Each amino acid has a Different side chain of atoms are present in each amino acid which interact with other atoms of side chains of other amino acids. This causes the entire protein molecule to fold into a compact globular form with specific interactions. The biological molecules are compactly arranged.