Answer:major structural component of the cell wall is carbohydrates. Major component of cell membranes is lipids. Proteins speed up chemical reactions in the cell. Nucleic acids are responsible for inheritance.
Explanation:
Biological macromolecules are large molecules in the cell formed by the covalent linkage of smaller molecules. The four major macromolecules found in living cells are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids.
Out of these 4 macromolecules, 3 are able to form polymers. A polymer is made up of many similar building blocks called monomers which are joined by commenting bonds. These macromolecules that form polymers are carbohydrates, proteins and nucleic acids. Lipids are not able to form polymers.
Carbohydrates: these are made up of sugars such as glucose, sucrose, fructose. The carbohydrate is the major structural component of the cell wall. Cellulose for example, is found in plants and is the major component of plant cell wall. Chitin is also a structural component of the exoskeletons of arthropods. Cellulose and chitin are polymers of carbohydrates.
Lipids: they consist majorly of hydrocarbons, hence separate easily from water. Lipids are made up of fatty acids and glycerol. They act as major components of the cell membrane which helps in insulation and act as barrier between the cell and its external environment.
Protein: proteins are made up of amino acids. All enzymes in the body are proteins and they function as catalysts speeding up chemical reactions in the body without being consumed by the reaction.
Nucleic acids: in most living cells, two types of nucleic acids exist, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). They are made up of nucleotides. Nucleic acids are responsible for the passage of inheritance genes or traits from parents to offspring. During replication, the double stranded DNA helix opens up so that new complementary strands are made. At the end, two new identical helices are made and each given to the new daughter cells.
