BIOLOGICAL MOLECULES

4 BIOLOGICAL
44BIOLOGICAL
MOLECULES
MOLECULES 4 BIOLOGICAL MOLECULES
BIOLOGICAL MOLECULES
CONTENTS:
4.1 CARBOHYDRATES, FATS & PROTEINS
4.2 FOOD TESTS
4.3 DNA STRUCTURE
4.4 WATER

• Most of the molecules in living organisms fall into three categories: carbohydrates,
proteins and lipids

• These all contain carbon and so are described as organic molecules

Carbohydrates or Saccharides
Chemical structure
Composed of the three elements only which are carbon , hydrogen ,and oxygen , in the ratio
1: 2: 1.
 Importance of carbohydrates
-

1 Production of energy by the process of respiration .

( One gram of carbohydrates produces about 17 kJ )
2- Stored in the cells:
in plant cells it is stored in the form of starch
-

in animal cells it is stored in the form of glycogen .

-

3- Cellulose is used in formation of c ell walls of plant cells .

4-Glucose is a carbohydrate transported in blood and releases energy in cell by respiration.

Groups of carbohydrates
Name Examples Sources Formula Properties
Monosaccharides glucose grapes C 6H 12O 6 1-

Are the basic units of

fructose fruits carbohydrates.
galactose 2 Are called simple sugars .
-

3 Are soluble in water .

-

4- Have sweet taste .

3 Can be found in the form of
-

crystals or white powder .

Disaccharides maltose Barley C12 H22O 11 1 Each
-

molecule can be
lactose milk decomposed into two molecules
sucrose sugar cane of monosaccharides.
2 Soluble in water.
-

3- Sweeter than monosaccharides.

4- Can be found in the form of
crystals or white powder.

Polysaccharides starch potatoes (C12H22O 11) n 1 Each molecule can be

-

cellulose vegetables n = many decomposed into many

glycogen liver molecules of mono and
disaccharides.
2 Insoluble in water .
-

3- No sweet taste.
4 Only starch is a white powder .
-

Storage of carbohydrates
➢ Carbohydrates are stored in the form of polysaccharides because this insoluble form
has no osmotic effect.
➢ In mammals excess carbohydrates are stored i n liver and muscles in the form of
glycogen.
➢ Excess carbohydrates are also converted into fats to be stored under the skin and
around certain organs such as kidney

Notice
starch, glycogen and cellulose are formed of glucose.
 LIPIDS
Chemical structure : are composed of the three elements which are carbon , hydrogen ,
and oxygen .But the amount of oxygen in fats is less than that in carbohydrates

The basic units : .

• Most fats (lipids) in the body are made up of triglycerides

• Their basic unit is one glycerol and three fatty acids

• The fatty acids vary in size and structure

Lipids are fats and oil

-

Fat is a lipid which is solid at room temperature such as butter.

-

Oil is a lipid which is liquid at room temperature

Fats are insoluble in water
Importance of fats
1 Release of energy by the process of respiration .
-

(The energy produced by fats is nearly double that produced by carbohydrates , it is

abo ut 39 kJ/gram)

2- Form a part of the cell membrane .

3 Stored in the body:

-

as a food reserve .
-

to protect and support certain organs such as kidneys.

-

to act as an insulating layer that reduces th e rate of heat loss.

-

4-Form a water proof layer for skin, fur, and feathers.

5-Many plants store oils in their seeds for example:peanut,coconut and castor oil provides energy
for seed grmination.

Sources of fats
Animal sources : meat, milk, cheese, butter and eggs
Plant sources : palm oil, maize, and cotton seed oil.
 PROTEINS
Chemical structure : it is formed of the following elements carbon, hydrogen, oxygen,
nitrogen and sometimes sulphur.

The basic units : are known as amino acids.

• Long chains of amino acids

• There are about 20 different amino acids

• They all contain the same basic structure but the ‘R’ group is different for each one

• When amino acids are joined together a protein is formed

• The amino acids can be arranged in any order, resulting in hundreds of thousands of
different proteins
• Even a small difference in the order of the amino acids results in a different protein being
formed

Sources of proteins
Animal sources : meat, milk, fish, and eggs.
Plant sources : leguminous plants such as beans and lentils.

Importance of proteins
1 As a source of energy in case of starvation .
-

( one gram of proteins produces 17kJ)

2 Growth and tissue repair .
-

3 Formation of enzymes and hormones.

-

4 Protection against diseases as antibodies produced by white blood cells are made of
-

proteins .
5 Formation of haemoglobin which is found in red blood cells to transport oxygen.
-

6. Forms keratin in hair and finger nail

7. Forms cell membranes and cytoplasm
 Test for glucose (a reducing sugar)
• Add Benedict’s solution into sample solution in test tube
• Heatat 60 – 70 °c in water bath for 5 minutes
• Take test tube out of water bath and observe the colour
• A positive test will show a colour change from blue to orange or brick red

The Benedict’s test for glucose

Test for protein

• Add drops of biuret solution to the food sample
• A positive test will show a colour change from blue to violet / purple

The biuret test for protein

 Test for starch using iodine
We can use iodine to test for the presence or absence of starch in a food sample.

The iodine test for starch

• Add drops of iodine solution to the food sample

• A positive test will show a colour change from orange–brown to blue-black

Testing a potato to prove the presence of starch

 Test for lipids
• Food sample is mixed with 2cm3 of ethanol and shaken

• The ethanol is added to an equal volume of cold water

• A positive test will show a cloudy emulsion forming

The ethanol test for lipids

Test for vitamin C

• Add 1cm3 of DCPIP solution to a test tube

• Add a small amount of food sample (as a solution)

• A positive test will show the blue colour of the dye disappearing

The DCPIP test for vitamin C

EXAM TIP

When describing food tests in exam answers, make sure you give the starting
colour of the solution and the colour it changes to for a positive result.
 Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
It carries the inherited information

Its structure
➢ Formed of two strands that twist together forming a spiral known as double helix.

➢ Each strand is formed of sequence of bases.

➢ Bases of one strand form hydrogen bonds with bases of the other strand.

DNA bases
➢ There are four types represented by A,T,C and G.
➢ A and T are joined together by two hydrogen bonds.
➢ C and G are joined together by three hydrogen bonds.
Importance of DNA bases
➢ The sequence of bases provides codes for the types of proteins that have to be made in
the cells.
➢ The different types of proteins lead to development of characteristics, for example black
hair is a protein while yellow hair is other protein.
➢ The different types of proteins may be enzymes or hormones that affect activity of the
body or maybe antibodies for immunity.

DNA, chromosomes and the nucleus

 Describe the structure of DNA as:

– two strands coiled together to form a double

helix
– each strand contains chemicals called bases
– cross-links between the strands are formed
by pairs of bases
– the bases always pair up in the same way:
A with T, and C with G (full names are not
required)

WATER
Importance of water
1 -It is the main component of the blood plasma.
2-Water secreted in the form of sweat is necessary for cooling down the body during hot
days.
3-Environment for marine organisms.

Importance of water as a solvent

➢ Dissolved oxygen in water is necessary for respiration of marine organisms.
➢ Excretory products can not be excreted except dissolved in water.
➢ Enzymes and hormones cannot be secreted and work except dissolved in water.
➢ Digested food can not be absorbed except dissolved in water.
➢ Plants can not absorb mineral ions from soil except dissolved in water.