A glucose molecule is to starch as (Explain your answer.) a. a steroid is to a lipid. b. a protein is to an amino acid. c. a nucleic acid is to a polypeptide. d. a nucleotide is to a nucleic acid.

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the relationship between glucose and starch. Glucose is a monosaccharide, which is a simple sugar and the most basic unit of carbohydrates. Starch, on the other hand, is a polysaccharide, which is made up of multiple glucose units bonded together.
2. Analyze each answer choice to find a similar relationship. The correct answer should reflect a similar relationship where a smaller, basic unit forms a larger, complex structure.
3. Evaluate option a: A steroid is a type of lipid, but it does not serve as a building block for lipids in general. Lipids can be formed from fatty acids and glycerol, not steroids.
4. Evaluate option b: A protein is made up of amino acids linked together. This reflects a similar relationship where amino acids are the basic building blocks that form the larger protein structure.
5. Evaluate option d: A nucleotide is a basic unit of nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA. This option also shows a relationship where a smaller unit (nucleotide) forms a larger complex molecule (nucleic acid), but it is not the correct analogy for glucose and starch.

Key Concepts

Monomer and Polymer

A monomer is a small, basic molecular unit that can join together to form larger structures known as polymers. In this context, glucose is a monomer that can link to form starch, a polysaccharide, which is a polymer made up of many glucose units. Understanding the relationship between monomers and polymers is crucial for analyzing biological macromolecules.

Biological Macromolecules

Biological macromolecules are large, complex molecules essential for life, including carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Each type of macromolecule is composed of specific building blocks: carbohydrates are made of sugars, proteins from amino acids, and nucleic acids from nucleotides. Recognizing these categories helps in drawing parallels between different biological structures.

Structural Relationships

Understanding structural relationships involves recognizing how smaller units relate to larger structures in biology. For example, just as glucose (a simple sugar) relates to starch (a complex carbohydrate), other biological units like nucleotides relate to nucleic acids. This concept is key to answering the question by identifying analogous relationships among different biological molecules.