British School Quito

Year 12 Diploma Biology

This work deals with the biological macro-molecules, most of which are polymers. All these macro-molecules are
formed through condensation reactions and are broken down through hydrolysis reactions. Complete the tasks below
on the Cornell note sheets and leave them in the class room at the end of the afternoon.
LIPIDS
Lipids are not polymers, they are macro-molecules formed from a glycerol backbone, attached to which are 1 or 2 or 3
fatty acid chains. The variable which makes one lipid different from another is the number and structure of the fatty
acid chains. The fatty acids may be saturated (with hydrogen) or unsaturated. There is sometimes another variable in
the glycerol, which for instance might have a phosphorous group attached to it phospholipid (in cell membranes).
You should be able to draw a simple annotated diagram of a triglyceride.
You should be able to understand and draw the condensation reaction between glycerol and a fatty acid which
forms the ester bond. (And draw its reverse, the hydrolysis reaction, as the bond is broken.)
The remaining biological macro-molecules are all polymers, which are created from monomers. The monomers
(building blocks) repeat many times until sometimes huge molecules are formed. The monomers are joined by bonds
created by condensation reactions.
POLYSACCHARIDES (Carbohydrates)
You need to be able to draw the ring structure of glucose (C6) and ribose (C5) sugars. (These are the only monomers
we need to consider.)
You need to be able to describe/show/draw the condensation reaction which links two simple monomer sugars to
form a disaccharide (dimer). This is best shown as glucose + fructose to form sucrose, or glucose + glucose + glucose
+ glucose etc. to form the polysaccharide starch. The bond formed between two monomer sugars in a condensation
reaction is called a glycosidic bond.
POLYPEPTIDES (Proteins)
You need to be able to draw the generalised structure of an amino acid. There are 22 commonly found amino acids,
each with a different R group. The amino group on one side and the acid group on the other are always the same; it is
what is joined to the pivotal carbon which differentiates one amino acid from another. At this stage you do not need to
know the difference between any amino acids.
You need to be able to describe/show/draw the condensation reaction between two generalised amino acids to form a
dipeptide. The bond formed between two amino acids in a condensation reaction is called a peptide bond.
NUCLEIC ACIDS (DNA & RNA)
We shall save these for later.
John Osborne
March 2015

Year 12 2014/2015/2016 Diploma Biology. Biochemistry