What biological molecules are there?

What types of biological molecules are there?

§ Can you name any?
§ Carbohydrates
§ Lipids (fats)
§ Proteins
§ Enzymes (enzymes are a type of protein)
§ Water
§ DNA

4 March 2023 What are cells? 1

Why is water important?

What is water for?

§ Most organisms are around 80%

water, as the cytoplasm of all cells
is mostly water.
§ Almost all metabolic reactions
occur in water. Metabolism is all the
reactions happening in the body,
keeping us alive.
§ This is because water is an
excellent solvent, substances
dissolve in water so they can react
and be transported (like in the
blood plasma, which is also mostly
water).
4 March 2023 What are cells? 2
What are biological compounds made of?

What types of biological molecules are there?

§ Biological molecules are polymers, which
means they are made up of lots of smaller
molecules called monomers.
§ Carbohydrates such as starch, cellulose
and glycogen are made up of sugars like
glucose, and are made of the elements
carbon, oxygen and hydrogen.
§ Lipids are made up of glycerol and fatty
acids, and are made of the elements carbon,
oxygen and hydrogen too.
§ Proteins are made up of amino acids, and
are made up of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen,
nitrogen and sulfur.

4 March 2023 What are cells? 3

How do we test for different biological molecules?

What are the different food tests?

§ We use the iodine test to test

for starch, a type of
carbohydrate.
§ Iodine solution is yellow-
brown, but in the presence of
starch is turns dark blue.

4 March 2023 What are cells? 4

How do we test for different biological molecules?

What are the different food tests?

§ We use Benedict’s test to

test for reducing sugars like
glucose which makes up
starch.
§ Benedict’s solution is blue,
but will turn to brick red
through all the colours of the
rainbow depending on how
much glucose is present.
§ This test requires heat.

4 March 2023 What are cells? 5

How do we test for different biological molecules?

What are the different food tests?

§ We use the biuret test for

proteins (which would also
detect most enzymes)
§ Biuret solution is blue, and it
turns lilac/purple in the
presence of protein

4 March 2023 What are cells? 6

How do we test for different biological molecules?

What are the different food tests?

§ We use the ethanol emulsion

test to test for lipids, fats
and oils.
§ Ethanol is clear like water,
but when you shake it in the
presence of a lipid, then add
it to some water, a milky
layer will form at the top if
lipid is presence.

4 March 2023 What are cells? 7

How do we test for different biological molecules?

What are the different food tests?

§ We use the DCPIP test for

vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
§ DCPIP is blue, and will turn
lose its colour/go
colourless in the presence
of vitamin C.

4 March 2023 What are cells? 8

What is the structure of DNA?

Use the information to identify the biological molecules in each food

§ DNA is another polymer, made of
monomers called nucleotides.
§ Each nucleotide has one of the four
bases represented by the letters A, T,
C and G.
§ Each DNA molecule has two strands
which wrap around each other in a
double helix shape.
§ The strands link together, where A
always matches to T, and C always
matches to G.
§ These bases are joined by hydrogen
bonds.

4 March 2023 What are cells? 9