Directorate: Curriculum FET

SUBJECT and GRADE Life Sciences Grade 10

TERM 1 Week 3
TOPIC The chemistry of life – organic compounds
AIMS OF LESSON At the end of this lesson you should be able to know the following:
• Organic compounds
• Carbohydrates – monosaccharide’s (single sugars) e.g. glucose, fructose; disaccharides
(double sugars) e.g. sucrose, maltose; polysaccharides (many sugars) e.g. starch, cellulose,
glycogen
• Lipids (fats and oils) – 1glycerol and 3 fatty acids: unsaturated and saturated fats. Cholesterol in
foods and heart disease
RESOURCES Paper based resources
Refer to:
• Your textbook sections on organic compounds- carbohydrates and lipids

INTRODUCTION • Organic compounds all contain carbon.

• Organic compounds include food substances such as carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, enzymes,
vitamins and nucleic acids
CONCEPTS AND Study the following information on the following
SKILLS organic compounds:
Carbohydrates:
• Carbohydrates are made up of the
elements carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and
oxygen (O).
• The ratio of H atoms to O atoms is 2:1
• Carbohydrates are made up of smaller
units called, saccharides
• Carbohydrates are divided into three
groups according to the number of
saccharides they contain:
➢ Monosaccharides (single sugars)
e.g. glucose, fructose and
galactose
➢ Disaccharides (double sugars) e.g.
maltose, sucrose and lactose.
Disaccharides are formed when two
monosaccharides are joined e.g.
Glucose + Fructose Sucrose +
water
➢ Polysaccharides (many sugars) e.g.
starch, glycogen and cellulose.
Polysaccharides are long chains of
monosaccharides.
Role of carbohydrates in animals and plants:
Know the meaning of instructional verbs in test and
examination questions e.g.
Instructional verb Meaning
Name Give the name of something
Differentiate Use differences to qualify
between two or more
categories
Tabulate Draw a table and indicate the
answers as direct pairs.
Describe State in sentences the main
points of a process
Explain Give your answer in a cause-
effect or statement and
reason sequence
Compare Give similarities and
differences between
concepts
Answer the following questions:
Question 1:
1. Give the correct biological term for each of the
following descriptions:
1.1 The organic compound that contains the
elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and where
the ratio of hydrogen to oxygen is 2:1
1.2 The monosaccharide that is the basic building
block of carbohydrates.
1.3 The form in which glucose is stored in plants.
 • Carbohydrates are an important source of
energy for organisms
• Plants store energy in the form of starch
and animals store energy in the form of
glycogen.
• The cell walls of plant cells consist of
cellulose to strengthen the cell walls.
Test for carbohydrates:
1.4 The chemical used to test for the presence of
glucose.
1.5 The building blocks of lipid molecules.
1.6 Fats that are mainly derived from animals and
which are solids at room temperature.
Question 2:
2. Study the diagram below:

• Test for glucose: Benedict solution (a blue

liquid) is used to test for glucose

2.1 Name the organic compound represented by

diagrams A and B respectively.
2.2 Name the chemical used to test for the organic
compound represented by diagram B.

• Prepare a water bath and heat the water. Question 3:

• Pour 5cm3 of Benedict’s solution in a test 3. Study the simplified reaction below and answer the
tube questions that follow.
• Add a few drops of the test solution e.g.
fruit juice to the Benedict’s solution
• Place the test tube into the water bath and
observe the colour change after a few
minutes
• An orange-red colour change in the test
tube indicates a high concentration of
glucose present.
• Test for starch: Iodine solution (a brown
liquid) is used to test for starch
• Place a potato or piece of bread in a dish.
• Place a few drops of iodine solution on the
peeled potato.
• The potato turns blue-black in the
presence of iodine solution.
3.1 Identify the type of organic compound to which
starch belongs to.
3.2 What reagent does one use to test for the
presence of starch?
3.3 What is a positive test for starch with the reagent
mentioned in QUESTION 3.2?
3.4 Identify the monomers (building blocks) of starch
AND give the name of the reagent that you will use
to test for the presence of this substance.
Question 4:
4. The following diagrams represent apparatus used
to investigate some organic nutrients.
4.1 The test tubes in diagram 1 and diagram 2 were
shaken for a while and then placed on a test tube
rack. What will be observed in each of these test
tubes after 30 minutes?
4.2 Write the colour that will indicate positive results
for diagram 3.
4.3 State THREE functions of fats in the human body.
Lipids (fats and oils):

• Lipids contain carbon (C), hydrogen (H)

and oxygen (O).
• The ratio of H to O is greater than 2:1
• One lipid molecule consists of one glycerol
molecule and three fatty acid molecules.

• Saturated fats – have single bonds in the

fatty acid chain and are mainly derived
from animals. Saturated fats are mainly
solids at room temperature e.g. butter and
cheese.
• Unsaturated fats – have one or more
double bonds in the fatty acid chain and
are mainly derived from plants.
Unsaturated fats are liquids at room
temperature e.g. olive oil, canola oil and
sunflower oil.

Cholesterol and heart disease:

 • Cholesterol is a lipid and a white, wax-like
substance that is found in the human body
and is part of cell membranes.
• Excessive intake of saturated fats leads to
high cholesterol levels in the blood.
• High cholesterol levels on the blood cause
fatty deposits in arteries thereby narrowing
the arteries
• This interferes with the transport of blood,
and can lead to a heart attack.

Role of lipids in animals and plants:

• Fats are rich sources of energy

• Fats serve as insulating material under the
skin of animals
• Fats serve as shock absorber and protect
some organs from injury
• It forms a structural component of cell
membranes

Test for fats:

• Grind the test material (e.g. peanuts)
• Place a small amount of the test material in
a test tube and add about 5cm3 of ether
or ethanol.
• Shake the test tube and let it stand for a
few minutes
• Filter the test solution and place a few
drops of the filtrate (liquid that filtered
through) on a clean filter paper
 • The ether or ethanol will evaporate and a
translucent fatty stain will form on the filter
paper

Common errors made by learners in

examinations:
• Unable to answer questions based on
carbohydrates and lipids
• Unable to answer questions on experiments
to test for carbohydrates and lipids
ACTIVITIES/ • Complete the questions given in this lesson
ASSESSMENT
CONSOLIDATION • Work through questions on organic compounds in past examination papers
• Reflect on your learning and understanding of this topic and assess your progress
VALUES By studying this section, you will develop your knowledge of key biological concepts, processes, systems
and theories.
"Please stay calm and carry on"