Molecule that is produced by a living organism

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biomolecule</span>

Biomolecule

<p>A <b>biomolecule</b> or <b>biological molecule</b> is a loosely used term for <a href="/en/Molecule" title="Molecule" class="wl">molecules</a> present in <a href="/en/Organism" title="Organism" class="wl">organisms</a> that are essential to one or more typically <a href="/en/Biological_process" title="Biological process" class="wl">biological processes</a>, such as <a href="/en/Cell_division" title="Cell division" class="wl">cell division</a>, <a href="/en/Morphogenesis" title="Morphogenesis" class="wl">morphogenesis</a>, or <a href="/en/Developmental_biology" title="Developmental biology" class="wl">development</a>.<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-1"><a href="#cite_note-1" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 1;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[1]</span></a></span> Biomolecules include large <a href="/en/Macromolecule" title="Macromolecule" class="wl">macromolecules</a> (or <a href="/en/Polyelectrolytes" title="Polyelectrolytes" class="mw-redirect wl">polyelectrolytes</a>) such as <a href="/en/Protein" title="Protein" class="wl">proteins</a>, <a href="/en/Carbohydrate" title="Carbohydrate" class="wl">carbohydrates</a>, <a href="/en/Lipid" title="Lipid" class="wl">lipids</a>, and <a href="/en/Nucleic_acid" title="Nucleic acid" class="wl">nucleic acids</a>, as well as <a href="/en/Small_molecule" title="Small molecule" class="wl">small molecules</a> such as primary <a href="/en/Metabolite" title="Metabolite" class="wl">metabolites</a>, <a href="/en/Secondary_metabolite" title="Secondary metabolite" class="wl">secondary metabolites</a> and <a href="/en/Natural_product" title="Natural product" class="wl">natural products</a>. A more general name for this class of material is biological materials. Biomolecules are an important element of living organisms, those biomolecules are often <a href="/en/Endogeny_(biology)" title="Endogeny (biology)" class="wl">endogenous</a>,<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-2"><a href="#cite_note-2" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 2;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[2]</span></a></span> produced within the organism<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-3"><a href="#cite_note-3" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 3;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[3]</span></a></span> but organisms usually need <a href="/en/Exogeny" title="Exogeny" class="wl">exogenous</a> biomolecules, for example certain <a href="/en/Nutrient" title="Nutrient" class="wl">nutrients</a>, to survive. </p>


<div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none" about="#mwt1">Molecule that is produced by a living organism</div>

<style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles mw:Transclusion">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li::after{content:" · ";font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li:last-child::after{content:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:first-child::before{content:" (";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:last-child::after{content:")";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol{counter-reset:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li{counter-increment:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li::before{content:" "counter(listitem)"\a0 "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li ol>li:first-child::before{content:" ("counter(listitem)"\a0 "}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1045330069" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles">.mw-parser-output .sidebar{width:22em;float:right;clear:right;margin:0.5em 0 1em 1em;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #aaa;padding:0.2em;text-align:center;line-height:1.4em;font-size:88%;border-collapse:collapse;display:table}body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .sidebar{display:table!important;float:right!important;margin:0.5em 0 1em 1em!important}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-subgroup{width:100%;margin:0;border-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-left{float:left;clear:left;margin:0.5em 1em 1em 0}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-none{float:none;clear:both;margin:0.5em 1em 1em 0}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-outer-title{padding:0 0.4em 0.2em;font-size:125%;line-height:1.2em;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-top-image{padding:0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-top-caption,.mw-parser-output .sidebar-pretitle-with-top-image,.mw-parser-output .sidebar-caption{padding:0.2em 0.4em 0;line-height:1.2em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-pretitle{padding:0.4em 0.4em 0;line-height:1.2em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-title,.mw-parser-output .sidebar-title-with-pretitle{padding:0.2em 0.8em;font-size:145%;line-height:1.2em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-title-with-pretitle{padding:0.1em 0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-image{padding:0.2em 0.4em 0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-heading{padding:0.1em 0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-content{padding:0 0.5em 0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-content-with-subgroup{padding:0.1em 0.4em 0.2em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-above,.mw-parser-output .sidebar-below{padding:0.3em 0.8em;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-collapse .sidebar-above,.mw-parser-output .sidebar-collapse .sidebar-below{border-top:1px solid #aaa;border-bottom:1px solid #aaa}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-navbar{text-align:right;font-size:115%;padding:0 0.4em 0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-list-title{padding:0 0.4em;text-align:left;font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6em;font-size:105%}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-list-title-c{padding:0 0.4em;text-align:center;margin:0 3.3em}@media(max-width:720px){body.mediawiki .mw-parser-output .sidebar{width:100%!important;clear:both;float:none!important;margin-left:0!important;margin-right:0!important}}</style><table class="sidebar sidebar-collapse nomobile nowraplinks" style="border:1px solid #A2B8BF"><tbody><tr><td class="sidebar-pretitle">Part of a series on</td></tr><tr><th class="sidebar-title-with-pretitle notheme" style="background:#82C3D8; padding:0.2em; font-size:175%; font-weight:bold;"><a href="/en/Biochemistry" title="Biochemistry" class="wl">Biochemistry</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-image"><span><a href="/en/File:Myoglobin.png" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:Myoglobin.png"><img loading="lazy" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Myoglobin.png/220px-Myoglobin.png" decoding="async" data-file-width="1159" data-file-height="1173" data-file-type="bitmap" height="223" width="220" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Myoglobin.png/330px-Myoglobin.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Myoglobin.png/440px-Myoglobin.png 2x" alt="Myoglobin.png"></a></span><div class="sidebar-caption" style="padding:0 0 0.8em;"><b>Chemistry of life</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-above notheme" style="padding:0.15em 0.15em 0.25em; display:block; background-color: transparent; border-color: #A2B8BF">
<div class="hlist ">
<ul><li><a href="/en/Index_of_biochemistry_articles" title="Index of biochemistry articles" class="wl">Index</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Outline_of_biochemistry" title="Outline of biochemistry" class="wl">Outline</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/History_of_biochemistry" title="History of biochemistry" class="wl">History</a></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content" style="padding:0.2em; border-bottom:1px solid #A2B8BF">
<div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="text-align:center;font-size:100%;font-weight:bold;">Key components</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist">
<ul><li><a href="/en/Biomolecule" title="Biomolecule" class="wl">Biomolecules</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Enzyme" title="Enzyme" class="wl">Enzymes</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Gene_expression" title="Gene expression" class="wl">Gene expression</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Metabolism" title="Metabolism" class="wl">Metabolism</a></li></ul></div></div></td>
</tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content" style="padding:0.2em; border-bottom:1px solid #A2B8BF">
<div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="text-align:center;font-size:100%;font-weight:bold;">List of biochemists</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist">
<ul><li><a href="/en/Biochemist" title="Biochemist" class="wl">Biochemist</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/List_of_biochemists" title="List of biochemists" class="wl">List of biochemists</a></li></ul></div></div></td>
</tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content" style="padding:0.2em; border-bottom:1px solid #A2B8BF">
<div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="text-align:center;font-size:100%;font-weight:bold;">Glossaries</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist">
<ul><li><a href="/en/Glossary_of_biology" title="Glossary of biology" class="wl">Glossary of biology</a></li>
<li><a href="/en/Glossary_of_chemistry_terms" title="Glossary of chemistry terms" class="wl">Glossary of chemistry</a></li></ul></div></div></td>
</tr><tr><td class="sidebar-below hlist notheme" style="background-color: #82C3D8; border-color: #A2B8BF">
<ul><li><span class="nowrap"><span class="noviewer"><span><img loading="lazy" alt="Symbol_category_class.svg" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/16px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png" decoding="async" data-file-width="180" data-file-height="185" data-file-type="drawing" height="16" width="16" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/23px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/31px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png 2x"></span></span><span>&nbsp;</span><a href="/en/Category:Biochemistry" title="Category:Biochemistry" class="wl">Category</a></span></li></ul></td></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-navbar"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1063604349" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/en/Template:Biochemistry_sidebar" title="Template:Biochemistry sidebar" class="wl"><abbr>v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/en/Template_talk:Biochemistry_sidebar" title="Template talk:Biochemistry sidebar" class="wl"><abbr>t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a rel="mw:ExtLink" href="//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Biochemistry_sidebar&amp;action=edit" class="external text" target="_blank"><abbr>e</abbr></a></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table>

<figure class="wiki-thumb"><a href="/en/File:Myoglobin.png" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:Myoglobin.png"><img loading="lazy" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Myoglobin.png/200px-Myoglobin.png" decoding="async" data-file-width="1159" data-file-height="1173" data-file-type="bitmap" height="202" width="200" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Myoglobin.png/300px-Myoglobin.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Myoglobin.png/400px-Myoglobin.png 2x" alt="Myoglobin.png"></a><figcaption>A representation of the 3D structure of <a href="/en/Myoglobin" title="Myoglobin" class="wl">myoglobin</a>, showing <a href="/en/Alpha_helix" title="Alpha helix" class="wl">alpha helices</a>, represented by ribbons. This protein was the first to have its structure solved by <a href="/en/X-ray_crystallography" title="X-ray crystallography" class="wl">X-ray crystallography</a> by <a href="/en/Max_Perutz" title="Max Perutz" class="wl">Max Perutz</a> and <a href="/en/John_Kendrew" title="John Kendrew" class="wl">Sir John Cowdery Kendrew</a> in 1958, for which they received a <a href="/en/Nobel_Prize_in_Chemistry" title="Nobel Prize in Chemistry" class="wl">Nobel Prize in Chemistry</a></figcaption></figure>
 
<p><a href="/en/Biology" title="Biology" class="wl">Biology</a> and its subfields of <a href="/en/Biochemistry" title="Biochemistry" class="wl">biochemistry</a> and <a href="/en/Molecular_biology" title="Molecular biology" class="wl">molecular biology</a> study biomolecules and their <a href="/en/Organic_reaction" title="Organic reaction" class="wl">reactions</a>. Most biomolecules are <a href="/en/Organic_compound" title="Organic compound" class="wl">organic compounds</a>, and just four <a href="/en/Chemical_element" title="Chemical element" class="wl">elements</a>—<a href="/en/Oxygen" title="Oxygen" class="wl">oxygen</a>, <a href="/en/Carbon" title="Carbon" class="wl">carbon</a>, <a href="/en/Hydrogen" title="Hydrogen" class="wl">hydrogen</a>, and <a href="/en/Nitrogen" title="Nitrogen" class="wl">nitrogen</a>—make up 96% of the <a href="/en/Human_body" title="Human body" class="wl">human body</a>'s mass. But many other elements, such as the various <a href="/en/Biometal_(biology)" title="Biometal (biology)" class="wl">biometals</a>,  are also present in small amounts.</p>

<p>The uniformity of both specific types of molecules (the biomolecules) and of certain <a href="/en/Metabolic_pathway" title="Metabolic pathway" class="wl">metabolic pathways</a> are invariant features among the wide diversity of life forms; thus these biomolecules and metabolic pathways are referred to as "biochemical universals"<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-4"><a href="#cite_note-4" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 4;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[4]</span></a></span> or "theory of material unity of the living beings", a unifying concept in biology, along with <a href="/en/Cell_theory" title="Cell theory" class="wl">cell theory</a> and <a href="/en/Evolution_theory" title="Evolution theory" class="mw-redirect wl">evolution theory</a>.<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-5"><a href="#cite_note-5" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 5;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[5]</span></a></span></p>



A biomolecule or biological molecule is a loosely used term for molecules present in organisms that are essential to one or more typically biological processes, such as cell division, morphogenesis, or development. but organisms usually need exogenous biomolecules, for example certain nutrients, to survive.  Biology and its subfields of biochemistry and molecular biology study biomolecules and their reactions. Most biomolecules are organic compounds, and just four elements—oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen—make up 96% of the human body's mass. But many other elements, such as the various biometals,  are also present in small amounts. The uniformity of both specific types of molecules and of certain metabolic pathways are invariant features among the wide diversity of life forms; thus these biomolecules and metabolic pathways are referred to as "biochemical universals" 