Biology · Biomolecules · NEET
NCERT says: 'All the carbon compounds that we get from living tissues can be called biomolecules.' So the key word is carbon compound (organic). If a compound comes from a living tissue and contains carbon, it is a biomolecule. NEET often quotes this line directly, so remember 'carbon compounds from living tissues'.
Yes. By definition biomolecules are carbon compounds. Living tissue also has inorganic parts like water, minerals (calcium, magnesium), sulphate and phosphate, but these are NOT called biomolecules. So water and salts are in the cell, yet they are not biomolecules.
Small ones: amino acids, sugars (monosaccharides), fatty acids, glycerol and nucleotides (bases like adenine, guanine). Large ones (macromolecules): proteins, polysaccharides (starch, cellulose), nucleic acids (DNA, RNA) and lipids sit in the acid-insoluble fraction. Learn both the small and big examples.
Grind a tissue in trichloroacetic acid, then filter. The filtrate is the acid-soluble pool (small biomolecules, molecular weight under ~1000 Da) and the retentate is the acid-insoluble fraction (macromolecules). This is why NEET links biomolecules to the acid-soluble vs acid-insoluble idea.
No. Every biomacromolecule is a biomolecule, but not every biomolecule is a macromolecule. Micromolecules (amino acids, sugars) are small biomolecules. Macromolecules (proteins, nucleic acids, polysaccharides) are large biomolecules made by joining many small units.
Identify the correct statements about biomolecules. A. Lipids are generally water soluble. B. Proteins are polypeptides. C. Polysaccharides are long chains of sugars. D. Adenine and guanine are substituted pyrimidines. E. Almost all enzymes are proteins. Choose the correct answer.
Try the real previous-year questions from this chapter — each with the answer and a full solution.
Biomolecules are all the carbon (organic) compounds found in living tissues, such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acids.
They build cell structures and run every life process. Proteins act as enzymes and building blocks, carbohydrates give energy, lipids form membranes, and nucleic acids carry genetic information.
No. Water is the most abundant molecule in living tissue, but it is inorganic and has no carbon, so it is not called a biomolecule.
Yes. DNA, RNA and proteins are large biomolecules called biomacromolecules, found mainly in the acid-insoluble fraction of a cell.
Biomolecules contain carbon and come from living tissues. Inorganic compounds like water, sulphate and phosphate do not count as biomolecules even though they are inside cells.
