Primary and Secondary Metabolites

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY METABOLITES

The most exciting aspect of chemistry deals with isolating thousands of compounds, small and big, from living organisms, determining their structure and if possible synthesising them.

If one were to make a list of biomolecules, such a list would have thousands of organic compounds including amino acids, sugars, etc.

We can call these biomolecules as 'metabolites'.

In animal tissues, one notices the presence of all such categories of compounds. For example, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, amino acids, nucleic acids.

These are called primary metabolites.

However, when one analyses plant, fungal and microbial cells, one would see thousands of compounds other than these primary metabolites which are called secondary metabolites, such as alkaloids, flavonoids, rubber, essential oils, antibiotics, coloured pigments, scents, gums and spices.

Difference between in Primary and Secondary Metabolites

Primary metabolites have identifiable functions and play known roles in normal physiological processes.

While many of the secondary metabolites are useful to 'human welfare' (e.g., rubber, drugs, spices, scents and pigments) their physiological role is unknown.

Some secondary metabolites have ecological importance too.

Some Secondary Metabolites

Let us take a detailed look at various micromolecules and macromolecules in a cell.

Primary and Secondary Metabolites

The most interesting component of chemistry is extracting thousands of small and large chemicals from live creatures, establishing their structure, and, if possible, synthesizing them. A list of biomolecules might contain thousands of organic chemicals, such as amino acids, carbohydrates, and other substances. These biomolecules can be referred to as metabolites. All of these kinds of chemicals can be found in animal tissues. Primary metabolites are what these are called. Thousands of additional substances termed secondary metabolites can be found in the plant, fungal, and microbial cells, such as alkaloids, flavonoids, rubber, essential oils, antibiotics, colored pigments, fragrances, gums, and spices. Secondary metabolites are what these are called.While primary metabolites have well-defined functions and roles in normal physiological processes, the role and functions of all secondary metabolites' in host organisms are currently unknown. Many of them, however, are beneficial to 'human welfare (e.g., rubber, drugs, spices, scents and pigments). Secondary metabolites play an important role in ecology.

Biomacromolecules

Proteins, nucleic acids, polysaccharides, and lipids are the only organic molecules found in the acid-insoluble fraction. With the exception of lipids, these substances have molecular weights in the tens of thousands of Daltons or higher. Biomolecules, or chemical substances found in living beings, are divided into two categories for this reason. One, those which have molecular weights less than one thousand daltons and are commonly referred to as micromolecules or simply biomolecules whereas those which are discovered in the acid-insoluble fraction are dubbed macromolecules or biomacromolecules. All of the chemicals in the acid-soluble pool have one thing in common. They have molecular weights that range from 18 to 800 daltons (Da).

With the exception of lipids, the molecules in the insoluble fraction are polymeric. Lipids are small molecular weight substances that can be found in a variety of forms, including cell membranes and other membranes. When the cell structure is disturbed and the tissue ispulverized, the breakdown of cell membranes and other membranes results in the formation of vesicles that are not water-soluble. As a result, membrane fragments in the form of vesicles separate from the acid-insoluble pool, resulting in the macromolecular fraction. The cytoplasmic composition is generally represented by the acid-soluble pool. The acid-insoluble fraction contains macromolecules from the cytoplasm and organelles. They represent the total chemical composition of biological tissues when put together.In summation, it is observed that water is the most abundant component in living organisms upon characterizing the chemical makeup of living tissue from the standpoint of abundance and classifying them accordingly.