Final answer:
Examples of biological molecules include Cholesterol for steroids, Starch for polysaccharides, Glucose for monosaccharides, Hemoglobin for proteins, DNA for nucleic acids, and Sucrose for disaccharides. Each of these plays a critical role in the function and structure of living organisms.
Step-by-step explanation:
Examples of Biological Molecules by Category
In biology, there are various categories of molecules that are crucial for life processes. Here are examples of molecules for each category you asked about:
- Steroids: Cholesterol
- Polysaccharides: Starch
- Monosaccharide: Glucose
- Protein: Hemoglobin
- Nucleic Acid: DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)
- Disaccharide: Sucrose
Polysaccharides are long chains of monosaccharides linked by glycosidic bonds. They can be very large molecules with molecular weights of 100,000 daltons or more, like starch and glycogen, and are vital as energy storage molecules in plants and animals respectively. Monosaccharides like glucose are simple sugars that provide immediate energy to cells, and when bonded together, they can form disaccharides like sucrose or even larger polysaccharides.
Steroids, such as cholesterol, have a structure of four fused carbon rings and are important for forming cell membranes and as precursors to steroid hormones. Proteins like hemoglobin are made from amino acids and are essential for various functions in organisms, including oxygen transport in the case of hemoglobin.