Editing Biomolecule (section)

{{Short description|Molecule produced by a living organism}}

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[[Image:Myoglobin.png|thumb|200px|A representation of the structure of [[myoglobin]], showing [[alpha helix|alpha helices]], represented by ribbons. This protein was the first to have its structure solved by [[X-ray crystallography]] by [[Max Perutz]] and [[John Kendrew]] in 1958, for which they received a [[Nobel Prize in Chemistry]]]]
 
A '''biomolecule''' or '''biological molecule''' is loosely defined as a [[molecule]] produced by a living [[organism]] and essential to one or more typically [[biological process]]es.<ref>Bunge, M. (1979). ''Treatise on Basic Philosophy'', vol. 4. Ontology II: A World of Systems, p. 61-2. [https://books.google.com/books?id=4hpNzUzH1E4C&lpg=PP1&hl=pt-BR&pg=PA61 link].</ref> Biomolecules include large [[macromolecule]]s such as [[protein]]s, [[carbohydrate]]s, [[lipid]]s, and [[nucleic acid]]s, as well as [[small molecule]]s such as vitamins and hormones. A general name for this class of material is ''biological materials''. Biomolecules are an important element of living organisms. They are often [[endogeny (biology)|endogenous]],<ref>{{cite book |author1=Voon, C. H. |author2=Sam, S. T. |title=Nanobiosensors for Biomolecular Targeting |date=2019 |publisher=Elsevier |isbn=978-0-12-813900-4 |language=en |chapter=2.1 Biosensors}}</ref> i.e. produced within the organism,<ref>[https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/endogeny endogeny]. (2011) ''Segen's Medical Dictionary''. [http://www.thefreedictionary.com The Free Dictionary by Farlex.] Farlex, Inc. Accessed June 27, 2019.</ref> but organisms usually also need [[exogeny|exogenous]] biomolecules, for example certain [[nutrient]]s, to survive.

Biomolecules and their [[organic reaction|reactions]] are studied in [[biology]] and its subfields of [[biochemistry]] and [[molecular biology]]. Most biomolecules are [[organic compound]]s, and just four [[chemical element|elements]]—[[oxygen]], [[carbon]], [[hydrogen]], and [[nitrogen]]—make up 96% of the [[human body]]'s mass. But many other elements, such as the various [[biometal (biology)|biometals]],  are also present in small amounts.

The uniformity of both specific types of molecules (the biomolecules) and of certain [[metabolic pathway]]s are invariant features among the wide diversity of life forms; thus these biomolecules and metabolic pathways are referred to as "biochemical universals"<ref>{{cite book |last1=Green |first1=D. E. |last2=Goldberger |first2=R. |title=Molecular Insights into the Living Process |publisher=Academic Press |location=New York |year=1967 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xi6FAAAAIAAJ |via=[[Google Books]] }}</ref> or "theory of material unity of the living beings", a unifying concept in biology, along with [[cell theory]] and [[evolution theory]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Gayon |first=J. |chapter=La philosophie et la biologie |title=Encyclopédie philosophique universelle |volume=IV, Le Discours philosophique |editor-first=J. F. |editor-last=Mattéi |publisher=Presses Universitaires de France |year=1998 |pages=2152–2171 |isbn=9782130448631 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CWcKAQAAMAAJ |via=Google Books }}</ref>