 identify and describe carbohydrates , lipids and proteins as food

substances
 state the chemical and physical properties of different food
substances
 Biomolecules are molecules that occur naturally in living organisms.
 Biomolecules include macromolecules like proteins, carbohydrates,
lipids and nucleic acids.
 It also includes small molecules like primary and secondary
metabolites and natural products.
 Biomolecules consists mainly of carbon and hydrogen with nitrogen,
oxygen, sulphur, and phosphorus.
 Biomolecules are very large molecules of many atoms, that are
covalently bound together.
 There are four major classes of biomolecules:

1. Carbohydrates
2. Lipids
3. Proteins
4. Nucleic acids
 Carbohydrates are organic molecules with the general formula CHO in a
1:2:1 ration.

 They constitute 1 to 2% of cell mass and provide the raw fuel for cellular
energy production

 They are classified based on molecular size and solubility. Smaller

molecules are more soluble than larger one!
 Monosaccharides are soluble (they dissolve) in water and taste sweet.
 Two monosaccharides are joined together by dehydration synthesis to form a disaccharide molecule.
These are also soluble in water and taste sweet..

 Sucrose (table sugar): Glucose + fructose = sucrose + water

 Lactose (milk sugar): Glucose + galactose = lactose + water
 Maltose (malt sugar): Glucose + glucose = maltose + water
 Polysaccharides include starch, cellulose, and glycogen.
 These long, chain-like polymers make ideal storage products due to their insolubility.
 Starch is the storage molecule synthesized from glucose by plants.
 Cellulose, which is also synthesized by plants for cell wall construction, is indigestible because we lack
enzymes for it. Cellulose provides fiber to promote peristalsis.
 Glycogen is the carbohydrate storage molecule found in muscle and liver cells. When blood sugar levels
drop, liver cells hydrolyze glycogen and release glucose to the blood

 Starch and glycogen are slightly soluble in water, cellulose is insoluble and polysaccharides do not taste
sweet.
 Lipids are organic molecules that are insoluble in water.
 Made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
 Lipids are composed of long hydrocarbon chains and hold a large amount of energy and are energy
storage molecules.
 Lipids are generally esters of fatty acids and are building blocks of biological membranes. Most of the
lipids have a polar head and non-polar tail.
 Fatty acids can be unsaturated and saturated fatty acids.

 There are three main groups of lipids:

1. Triglycerides
2. Phospholipids
3. Steroids
 Saturated fats have a single bond between carbon atoms
 Monosaturated fats have a double bond between carbon atoms
 Polysaturated fats have more that one carbon-carbon double bond per molecule.

 Scientists believe that a diet high in saturated fats is unhealthy and they have linked
saturated fats to an increased risk of heart disease.
 Proteins are known as building blocks of life.

 Compounds contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sometimes sulphur and
phosphorous.

 Perform variety of functions like catalyzing metabolic reactions, replication of DNA,

response to stimuli, and transporting molecules.
 Every protein molecule is made up of a long chain of amino acids.
 Usually large in size, that consists of one or more chains of amino acids.

 There are 20 amino acids and they all have the general formula

 Proteins differ from each other mainly in the sequences of amino acids.
1. Which three elements are found in carbohydrates, lipids and proteins
2. Define the term; ‘monosaccharide’ ‘hydrolysis’ ‘condensation’ and ‘polysaccharide’
3. In which kind of food would you find the following substances, cellulose, sucrose, oil, fat and amino acids
4. What is the main function of proteins?