BIOMOLECULES PART 1

1. I can compare the structures and functions

of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and

nucleic acid.

2. I can explain how small building blocks can

be used to make a great variety of

molecules that are needed to perform life’s

functions.

3. I can identify common forms of

biomolecules and their functions.

4. I can show appreciations for the

applications of biomolecules to the society

and take actions on how to conserve

world’s resources.

For this unit topic, here are the learning targets

that you will need to accomplish:

Note: Use these learning targets to self-evaluate. When
you read and do activities, always go back to these goals
to check if you have achieved it.

YELLOW HIGHLIGHTER: DEFINE PROTEINS,
CARBOHYDRATES, LIPIDS, NUCLEIC ACIDS AND OTHER
TERMS RELATED TO BIOMOLECULES

ORANGE HIGLIGHTER: What is the general
formula for the group?

PINK HIGHLIGHTER: for the primary roles of
these molecules in living organisms

The blue highlighter: monomers and
polymers of the group

•The green highlighter is used for: names of some
specific examples of the group of molecules and
where they would be found.

TERMS

FORMULA

ROLES

MONOMERS/POLYMERS

EXAMPLES

COLOR-CODING STRATEGY

Try to take a look around. You are surrounded with organisms. All

organisms—plants, humans, animals, fungi, protists, and bacteria—are

composed of biomolecules. Biomolecules are macromolecules that provide the
structural framework for all living things, as well as the mechanisms needed

to perform various biological processes. A branch of chemistry called

biochemistry focuses on these biomolecules. These biomolecules can be

subdivided into four major categories—carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids,

and proteins. In this lesson, you are going to learn how to differentiate these

molecules from one another.

Now, how do we apply this lesson in real life?

When you purchase food in the
grocery store or eat something..
Do you read the nutrition facts?
Now let’s see what we got here.
Using the image on the left, try to
investigate the different amounts

of nutrients (fats/lipids,

carbohydrates and proteins)

found in each. Write your

observations in your notebook of
the nutrition information for their

food item, paying particular

attention to fats, carbohydrates

and protein content. This

means that you have a personal
connection with biomolecules.

• You probably remember your
parents telling you to eat all the
food on your plate to make you

healthy. Eating a variety of
food gives you a healthy
balance of carbohydrates,

proteins, fats and other

nutrients. There substances
provide the energy and raw
materials the body needs to

grow, repair worn out parts and
function properly. Most of the
nutrients in food are organic

compounds classified as
carbohydrates, lipids,

proteins and nucleic acids.

Study the diagram, can

you differentiate a

polymer from a

monomer?

Watch the video, if you were able to differentiate it right.

Families of Biomolecules

• Carbohydrates

•Lipids

•Proteins

•Nucleic Acids

Helpful Mnemonics for you! This represents the
elements mostly found in each biomolecule family.

Carbohydrates

How Sweet It Is!

• General formula (CH2O)n
• Simple sugars or large

molecules made of sugar
monomers

• Monosaccharides (monomer)

are covalently linked by
condensation reaction to form
polysaccharides (polymers)

Carbohydrates

Reflect on this question:

Why do athletes eat large amounts of rice and fruits

before a competition?

Carbohydrates

Rice, pasta, bread, and fruits are rich in sugar

and starch, which are examples of

carbohydrates. A carbohydrate is an organic
molecule that contains the elements carbon,
hydrogen, and oxygen in the ratio of 1:2:1.
During digestion, carbohydrates are broken
down to simple sugars that the body can use
for energy. In effect, the athletes are storing

energy for the competition.

Carbohydrates are the most
abundant class of organic

compounds found in living things.
They contain the elements carbon
(C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O).

Carbohydrates include sugars,

starches, cellulose and many other
compounds in organisms. They are
either formed from or decomposed

into other carbohydrate forms

through the physiological processes

in plants and animals.

•

Thousands of glucose molecules combine to form the
much larger cellulose molecule, which constitutes the
structural framework of plants. Glucose molecules may
also fuse to form molecules of starch, which is stored in
the seeds and serve as food for a growing plant.

•

When animals, including humans, eat cellulose or
starch, the substance is broken down into glucose units,
which are carried by the blood to the liver, where they
are recombined to form glycogen (animal starch) and
stored.

•

If the body needs energy, the glycogen can be broken
down again into glucose, which is then transferred to the
tissues where it is oxidized to carbon dioxide and water,
a process that releases the energy. Some of the glucose is
converted into fats; some react with nitrogen containing
compounds to form amino acids, which in turn are
combined to manufacture proteins that comprise the
animal body.

FUNCTIONS:

1. Substrate for respiration or source of energy

2.

Intermediate

substances

in

respiration

(e.g.,

glyceraldehydes)

3. Energy storage (e.g., starch and glycogen)

4. Structure (e.g., chitin in arthropod exoskeletons and
fungal walls)

5. Transport (e.g., sucrose transported in the phloem of a
plant)

6. Recognition of molecules that pass through the cell
membrane

ANOTHER WAY OF

CLASSIFYING

CARBOHYDRATES:

• Monosaccharides (from the

Greek word -mono, which
means "single"
andsaccharum,which means
"sugar") are also called simple
sugars because they are the
monomers or basic units of
carbohydrates.
Monosaccharides serve as the
building blocks of complex
carbohydrates.

Polysaccharides

Three Types

• Glycogen (animal storage)
• Starch (plant energy storage)

- Easily digested by animals

through hydrolysis
• Cellulose

Polysaccharides are long polymers

composed of hundreds and thousands
of monosaccharides. A polymer is a

compound made up of small molecules

arranged in a repeating structure to

form a larger molecule. Glucose is the

monomer often used to form these
carbohydrates. Polysaccharides may
either serve as energy storage or as

structural component.

Sugars and Structures:

• Monosaccharides

– Five carbon: Ribose
– Six carbon: glucose and fructose

•Disaccharides

–Sucrose
–Lactose

•Polysaccharides

–Starch
–Cellulose
–Glycogen

Worksheet #1

Glucose is soluble in water. Why
is cellulose, which is made up
glucose, insoluble in water?

(In answering worksheets, make sure to write
the question first, then give the answers.

Lipids

The
ROLE

LIPIDS

Similar to carbohydrates, lipids also contain hydrogen, carbon,
and oxygen. Unlike carbohydrates, however, they are
water-insoluble. And although they may also form chains, they
do not have monomers because lipids are structurally diverse.
Based on structural and physical characteristics, you can classify
lipids as fatty acids, waxes, steroids, triacylglycerols, or
phospholipids. Lipids are present in waxes, butter, and vegetable
oils. Lipids have a variety of functions:

l . Serve as energy storage

2. Acts as a signaling molecule

3. Give thermal insulation

4. Facilitate absorption of fat-soluble

vitamins

5. Component of cell membranes

Lipids

• Long-term energy storage (more than twice as

much energy per gram as carbohydrates.

• Generally insoluble in water
• Structural components of cells (phospholipids)
• Cellular messengers (hormones)

Fatty acids consist of a long, hydrophobic

nonpolar hydrocarbon "tail" and a

hydrophilic polar carboxylic acid functional
group at the "head." Natural fatty acids may
be saturated or unsaturated. The saturated
fatty acids have no carbon-carbon double

bonds, while unsaturated fatty acids contain

one or more double bonds in the

hydrocarbon chain. Saturated fatty acids have
higher melting points than unsaturated fatty
acids of the same size. The fatty acids shown
below are lauric acid, a saturated fatty acid

found in coconut oil; and oleic acid, an

unsaturated fatty acid found in animal fat.

•Phospholipids also have a glycerol backbone

attached to fatty acids (called the "tails").

However, one of the fatty acids is replaced by a
phosphate "head." In addition, the "tails" may
be composed of saturated and unsaturated fatty
acids. Unsaturated fatty acids cause a kink in its

chain.

•Cell membranes take advantage of these split

tendencies by lining up two layers of

phospholipids, with the nonpolar parts facing

toward each other. The result is a barrier

between the inside and outside of the cell. This

is called the phospholipid bilayer.

11 April 2023

INTRO

40

More FAT
• Triglycerides are composed of three fatty

acids covalently bonded to one glycerol
molecule

•Fatty acids are composed of CH2 units and are

hydrophobic

•Fatty acids can be saturated (all single bonds)

or unsaturated (one or more double bonds)

•A fat (mostly saturated) is solid at room temp.

while an oil (mostly unsaturated) is liquid at
room temp.

Phospholipids

• Important structural component of

cell membranes

• Phosphate group (head) is polar

and water soluble (hydrophilic)

• Fatty acid tails are hydrophobic

•This allows the phospholipids to

form bilayers and membranes

Other Lipids

•Steroids
•Cholesterol
•Hormones
•Waxes

Sing-a-long!

Worksheet #2

Which lipids are recommended

to include in your diet?

(In answering worksheets, make sure to write the
question first, then give the answers.

Please feel free to

message your Science
Teacher for clarification!

PROCESS QUESTIONS:

WHY

BIOMOLECULES

IMPORTANT?

As a

Lasallian,
how can

you translate
what you had
learned into
something

useful?

The End