BASIC STRUCTURES AND

FUNCTION OF
CARBOHYDRATES & LIPIDS
 Learning Outcomes
At the end of this session, you should be able to
describe the basic structure and function of
carbohydrate and lipid molecules used by living
systems.
CARBOHYDRATES
• Molecules with a 1:2:1 ratio of
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen -
empirical formula: (CH2O)n
• Source of quick energy
• Dietary source: rice, pasta, bread
• Monosaccharides, disaccharides,
polysaccharides
 MONOSACCHARIDE
• Greek mono, “single”; Latin saccharum, “sugar”
• The common monosaccharides of living organisms are pentose
and hexose.
• C6H12O6
• glucose, galactose, fructose
 DISACCHARIDE
▪ -2 monosaccharides linked together by
dehydration synthesis
Monosaccharide + Monosaccharide → Disaccharide + water
C6H12O6 + C6H12O6 → C12H22O11 + H2O
Glucose + Glucose → Maltose + Water
Glucose + Galactose → Lactose + Water
Glucose + Fructose → Sucrose + Water

▪ Maltose is a grain sugar found in grains,

such as wheat and barley, and grass.
▪ Lactose is found in milk and milk products.
▪ Sucrose is table sugars produces from
sugar cane
 Glycosidic
bond

Glycosidic
bond
 POLYSACCHARIDE
• Long chain of sugars
• The most important polysaccharides:
• Cellulose, chitin, starch, glycogen
Found in Used for Used for
Structural support Energy storage
PLANTS CELLULOSE STARCH
Makes up plant cell The way plant store
wall carbohydrates
ANIMALS CHITIN GLYCOGEN
Make up “Animal starch”; in
exoskeleton in human, this is stored in
arthropods and cell the liver and skeletal
wall in mushrooms muscle 7
 The cuticle of the arthropod Homarus americanus displays a variety of different architectures at
multiple length scales. (a) N-acetylglucosamine molecules make up (b) chains of alpha-chitin. (c)
These chains in turn form nanofibrils wrapped in protein, which bundle together to form (d) larger
protein–chitin fibres and (e) mineralized honeycomb-like lamellae. These honeycomb lamellae and (f)
lamellae containing more parallel-oriented fibres stack together to form (g) a “twisted plywood”
structure making up (h) the multi-layered structure of the bulk cuticle of exoskeleton of the lobster (i).
LIPID
❑Lipids are biological molecules that
contain carbon, hydrogen, and
oxygen.
❑ insoluble in water but soluble in
organic solvents.
❑Lipids emulsify in water
A high proportion
of nonpolar C – H
bonds causes the
molecule to be
hydrophobic.
 TRIGLYCERIDES

Fatty acid-containing PHOSPHOLIPIDS

lipid

WAXES
LIPID

Non fatty acid-containing

STEROIDS
lipid
 FATTY ACID (FA)
❑FA are long hydrocarbon chain which
may be:
i. SATURATED
- contains only C-C single bonds in the
hydrocarbon chain
ii. MONOUNSATURATED
-contains one C = C double bond in the
hydrocarbon chain
iii. POLYUNSATURATED
-contains two or more C = C double bonds
in the hydrocarbon chain
 TRIGLYCERIDES (fats)
- 3 fatty acids linked to 1 glycerol

ester linkage
= between OH & COOH
Saturated fat Unsaturated fat
 PHOSPHOLIPIDS
- 1 glycerol +2 fatty acids +1 phosphate group

Phospholipids contain
polar “heads” and
nonpolar “tails”.
• The glycerol head with its phosphate is polar and hydrophilic.
• The fatty acid tails are non polar and hydrophobic.
• Hydrophobic molecules are not attracted to water and hydrophilic
molecules are attracted to water.
• This gives phospholipids it unique reaction in water that is
important in cell membrane function.
 Phospholipids spontaneously form
micelles or lipid bilayers.

➢ These structures cluster the

hydrophobic regions of the
phospholipid toward the inside
and leave the hydrophilic
Micelles regions exposed to the water
environment.

Lipid bilayers
➢ Lipid bilayers are
the basis of
biological
membranes.
 WAXES
• Wax is made of 2 fatty acid tails attached to an alcohol chain.
• The main function of wax is waterproofing and forming
protective layers.
• Wax is found on the leaves and stems of plants, in mammal fur
and ears, and on an insects exoskeleton.
 STEROIDS
• Steroids are made of 4 carbon rings attached to different functional
groups
• Classified as lipids because they are insoluble in water.
• Example: