PHYSICAL SCIENCE

Quarter 1 – WEEK 4
Worksheet No. 4
MOLECULES OF LIFE
(Biological Macromolecules)

I. Most Essential Learning Competency:

1. Explain how the structure of biological macromolecules such as carbohydrates, lipids,

nucleic acid, and protein determine their properties and functions (S11/12PS-IIIe-22)

II. Learning Objectives:

a. Distinguish between carbohydrates, protein, lipids, and nucleic acid;
b. Relate the structures of the biomolecule with their properties; and
c. Summarize the general characteristics of each biomolecule

III. Brief Discussion

Learning Episode 1: Biological Macromolecules

Living organisms, even the tiniest creature, have a complex structure of different chemicals.
Lack or excess of each of the chemicals will not sustain life. Understanding how one
macromolecule affects a living organism is crucial.
Biological macromolecules are important cellular components and perform a wide array of
functions necessary for the survival and growth of living organisms. The four major classes
of biological macromolecules are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.
Humans, for example, require to intake a certain amount of food every day for us to survive.
But what's in our food that is so important in our body? How do those "things" affect us? Let
us find out on this module.
Activity 1: Fischer Structure Directions: Study the Fischer structure of glucose. Write your
answer on the space provided after each item.

Guided Questions:
1.What elements do you see in the structure/ formula? ______________________________

2. What do you notice about the chemical formula of glucose?

a. the number of C and O atoms? __________
b. the number of H atoms? _______________
c. write the formula of glucose. _____________________________________

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Figure 1.1 Fisher structure of glucose—Carbohydrates Source: https://rb.gy/cigwad

In the activity above, you may notice that the structure contains the same elements C, H, and
O. This structure is a carbohydrate. Let us further discuss it below.

1.1 Read to Learn: Carbohydrates The word carbohydrate may be broken down into
carbon and hydrate. From the chemical formula of carbohydrate, notice that the ratio of C: H:
O is 1: 2: 1, which can be rewritten as Cn(H2O)n. Carbohydrates can be seen as hydrates of
carbon. This is a traditional but incorrect understanding of carbohydrates but it still presents a
useful picture of the molecule. Another term for carbohydrates is a saccharide. This term is
derived from the Latin word Saccharum referring to sugar--a common carbohydrate.

Carbohydrates are classified either as simple or complex. Simple sugars are known as
monosaccharides and disaccharides while complex sugars are called polysaccharides.
Carbohydrates are the primary energy source of the human body. The different saccharides
that humans eat are converted to glucose which can be readily used by the body. Around 4
kilocalories are derived from one gram of carbohydrate. Should there be excessive
consumption of carbohydrates, the excess is converted to glycogen which is stored in the
liver and muscles. Glycogen is a slow-releasing carbohydrate.

a. Monosaccharide (one saccharide) These are the only sugars that can be absorbed and
utilized by the body. Disaccharides and polysaccharides must be ultimately broken
down into monosaccharides in the digestive process known as hydrolysis. Only then
can they be utilized by the body. Three monosaccharides are particularly important in
the study of nutritional science: glucose, fructose, and galactose.
a. Glucose - used in dextrose, blood sugar; the form utilized by the human body
b. Galactose - found in milk and milk products
c. Fructose - found in fruits and honey Note: The above monosaccharides all have the
same chemical formula of C6H12O6 and its structure is the one that made the
difference in its properties.

Note: The above monosaccharides all have the same chemical formula of C6H12O6
and its structure is the one that made the difference in its properties.

b. Disaccharide (two saccharides) Disaccharides, on hydrolysis, yield two monosaccharide

molecules. Three particular disaccharides warrant discussion in a lesson on nutritional
science: sucrose, maltose, and lactose.
a. Maltose Glucose + Glucose - found in malt
b. Sucrose Glucose + Fructose - found in regular table sugar, sugarcane, and sugar beet c.
Lactose Glucose + Galactose - found in milk and milk products

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c. Polysaccharide (many saccharides) Like the disaccharides, the polysaccharides cannot be
directly utilized by the body. They must first be broken down into monosaccharides, the only
sugar form the body can use. Polysaccharides contain up to 60,000 simple carbohydrate
molecules. These carbohydrate molecules are arranged in long chains in either a straight or in
a branched structure. Four polysaccharides are important in the study of nutritional science:
starch, dextrin, glycogen, and cellulose.
a. Starch / Amylose - composed of 250 - 400 glucose molecules connected via α-1-4- -
glycosidic bond - Storage form of glucose in plants
b. Amylopectin - like amylose but has more branches attached via an α-16 glycosidic bond -
Storage form of glucose in plants
c. Glycogen - composed of more glucose, more highly branched (same type of bond as
amylopectin) - Storage form of glucose in animals, stored in the liver and muscles
d. Cellulose - composed of glucose units connected via β-1-4 glycosidic bond, linear chain
arranged in a parallel manner - Structural material in plants--cell wall in wood, wood fiber
Cannot be digested by humans

That is all about carbohydrate! Let us check out another biomolecule of life which are the
proteins, do you know some of them? On the next reading, you will get to know proteins
better, but before that, you may opt to answer the given activity below.

Activity 2: Pair Me! Directions: Pair column A with the description in column B. Write the
letter of your answer in the space provided before each item.

Column A Column B
______ 1. Collagen a. carries oxygen from the lungs to the bloodstream
______ 2. Keratin b. A substance used to speed up a reaction
______ 3. Hemoglobin c. major insoluble fibrous protein found in connective
tissues
______ 4. Enzymes d. fibrous protein in hair, skin, and nails
______ 5. Fibroin e. strongest natural fibers found in silk

1.2 Read to Learn: Proteins The word protein came from the Greek term proteios
meaning first. One can think of protein as the beginning of life. From egg albumin
being pure protein to sperm and egg cells, we all start from proteins. Proteins are
composed of four elements, namely, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. Sulfur
and other metals are sometimes also found in proteins. If carbohydrates are made up
of saccharides, proteins are made up of amino acids. An amino acid is a molecule that
has an amine and a carboxyl group. Below is the structure of the amino acid.

• Protein structure depends on its amino acid sequence and local, low energy chemical bonds
between atoms in both the polypeptide backbone and in amino acid side chains.

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• Protein structure plays a key role in its function; if a protein loses its shape at any structural
level, it may no longer be functional.
• The primary structure is the amino acid sequence.
• The secondary structure is local interactions between stretches of a polypeptide chain and
includes α-helix and β-pleated sheet structures.
• Tertiary structure is the overall the three-dimension folding driven largely by interactions
between R groups.
• Quaternary structures are the orientation and arrangement of subunits in a multi-subunit
protein.

Examples of proteins and their structure and functions

a. Keratin Keratin is a structural protein found in hair, skin, and nails. It is a highly cross-
linked protein-containing α-helix and β-pleated sheets. Sheep's wool is made largely of
keratin.
b. Fibroin / Silk protein Fibroin is found in silk. Silk has a smooth and soft texture. It is
one of the strongest natural fibers that have high resistance to deformation. It is also good
insulation. Silk is primarily composed of β-pleated sheets. The long polypeptide chain
doubles back on its running parallel-connected together by H-bonds.
c. Collagen Collagen is a major insoluble fibrous protein found in connective tissues such as
tendons, ligaments, skin, cartilage, and the cornea of the eye. It comprises as much as 30% of
proteins in animals. Its strength is attributed to its triple helix structure comprising of α-
helices braided together. When several triple helices combine, they form the fibrils that make
up connective tissues.
d. Enzymes Function to catalyze chemical reactions. They either speed up a reaction, lower
the needed energy for a reaction to take place, or bind substances to their specific partners.
Enzymes themselves are very specific as can be seen in their shape. Examples of enzymes are
below: Lipase - helps in digestion of fats Pepsin - help in breaking down proteins into
peptides (smaller units) Sucrase - also called invertase, help in the digestion of sugars and
starches
e. Myoglobin Myoglobin is a polypeptide that stores oxygen in muscles. It is a globular
protein comprised of 153 amino acids in a single polypeptide chain. It contains a heme group
that has an iron (II) ion at its center. This is where oxygen is stored.
f. Hemoglobin Hemoglobin is a globular protein that carries oxygen from the lungs to the
bloodstream. It is composed of four subunits, each containing a heme group that enables it to
transport four oxygen molecules at a time.

1.3 Read to Learn: Lipids The word lipid comes from the Greek word lipos which means
fat. Lipids are a family of biomolecules having varied structures. They are grouped simply
because of their hydrophilic property (water-fearing). They are soluble in non-polar solvents
such as ether, acetone, and benzene. Lipids can be classified into four categories:
a. Wax b. Phospholipids c. Triglycerides d. Steroids

A lipid molecule consists of two main components: glycerol and fatty acids. Glycerol is an
alcohol with three carbons, five hydrogens, and three hydroxyls (OH) groups. Fatty acids
have a long chain of hydrocarbons with a carboxyl group attached and may have 4-36
carbons; however, most of them have 12-18. In a fat molecule, the fatty acids are attached to
each of the three carbons of the glycerol molecule with an ester bond through the oxygen
atom.

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The next activity will introduce you the concept of DNA and RNA. You will understand its
important concepts and structure. Enjoy learning!

Activity 3: Models of Life

Directions: Answer the given question

Guide Questions:
1. What are common parts of nucleotide? _______________________________
2. What is the one part of the nucleotide that differs among the other different nucleotides?
_______________________________
3. List the different kinds of nitrogen bases. _____________________________
4. Is there always going to be an equal number of adenine and thymine nucleotides in the
molecule? Why? _______________________________
5. Is there always going to be an equal number of guanine and cytosine nucleotides in the
molecule? Why? _______________________________
6. The sides of the ladder are made up of alternating __________ and __________ molecules.
The steps of the ladder are made up of __________ held together by hydrogen bond.

The last biomolecule of life are the nucleic acids, it includes the genetic material of an
organism. Let’s check it out on the next reading.
1.3 Read to Learn: Nucleic Acids The most common examples of nucleic acids are
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid). DNA is a nucleic acid that
carries the genetic code of organisms. It is fondly termed as the blueprint of life.
RNA, on another hand, carries the information from the DNA to the cellular factories
for the synthesis of proteins. If carbohydrates are composed of saccharide units,
proteins of amino acids, and lipids of fatty acids, nucleic acids are composed of
nucleotides. Nucleic acids are also known as polynucleotides.
A nucleotide has three parts:
a. Nitrogenous base
b. Five-carbon carbohydrate or sugar
c. Phosphate group
The nitrogenous bases of DNA and RNA are: DNA’s: Adenine (A), Guanine (G), Cytosine
(C), & Thymine (T) RNA’s: Adenine (A), Guanine (G), Cytosine (C), and Uracil (U) DNA
has a different sugar group than RNA. DNA has deoxyribose while RNA has ribose.
The process by which an identical copy of the original DNA is formed is called DNA
replication. An analogy of DNA replication is opening a zipper. As you open, each side of the

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zipper acts as a template for the synthesis of a new, complementary strand. The result is two
new DNA molecules, which have the same base pair sequence as the original double helix.

Proteins are the ones responsible for observable traits like curly hair, blue eyes, dark skin, etc.
DNA and RNA molecules direct the synthesis of proteins in the cells. However, this is
beyond the scope of this module.

PERFORMANCE TASK:
SGD on Focus! Directions: Answer the given question. Use the rubric as your guide. 1. The
Nutrition Facts label is required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on most
packaged foods and beverages. Below is an example of Nutrition Facts. Why is it important
for food manufacturers to include nutritional information on their products?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

WRITTEN WORK:
Part A. True or False Directions: Write TRUE if the statement is correct and write FALSE
if the statement is incorrect. Write your answer on the space provided before each item.
_______ 1. Sucrose is a disaccharide
_______ 2. Starch is composed of many glucose units
_______ 3. Fructose is also known as blood sugar
_______ 4. Keratin is easily dissolved in water
_______ 5. Proteins are made up of nucleotides
_______ 6. The iron group of hemoglobin is called a heme group
_______ 7. A nucleotide has three parts: a nitrogenous base, sugar, and phosphate group
_______ 8. DNA has a double helix structure
_______ 9. Triglyceride is a protein
_______ 10. Generally, unsaturated fatty acids remain solid at room temperature

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Part B: Answer questions about biomolecules
Carbohydrates
What elements are they composed of?
________________________________________
What is the monomer/sub-unit?
________________________________________
What is its function for the body?
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
Write two examples:
________________________________________
________________________________________
Proteins
What elements are they composed of?
________________________________________
What is the monomer/sub-unit?
________________________________________
What is its function for the body?
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
Write two examples:
________________________________________
________________________________________
PHYSICAL SCIENCE
Lipids
What elements are they composed of?
________________________________________
What is the monomer/sub-unit?
________________________________________
What is its function for the body?
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
Write two examples:
________________________________________
________________________________________
Nucleic Acids
What elements are they composed of?
________________________________________
What is the monomer/sub-unit?
________________________________________
What is its function for the body?
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
Write two examples:
________________________________________
________________________________________
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