Biological molecules

Monosaccharides Monosaccharides – single sugar molecule

- Glucose, galactose, fructose
Sugars + starch are examples of charbs
Key properties of monosaccharides:
- They are soluble in water
- This is because they have a large number of OH groups – OH
Glucose : C6H12O6 groups are AKA hydroxyl groups
- Hydroxyl groups can form hydrogen bonds with water
molecules, making them soluble in water
- Molecules like this are hydrophilic
- Hydrophilic molecules dissolve in water

Pentose monosaccharides contain 5 carbon atoms e.g. ribose

Monosaccharides can be chemically joined together to form larger charbs

such as disaccharides and polysaccharides
All charbs contain CHO ONLY
Sugars with 6 C atoms are hexose sugars

Glucose simplified structure

Alpha and
Beta Glucose
There are 2 forms of glucose
– they are isomers of glucose

In carbon 1, Carbon is bonded to both

hydrogen atom and an OH group(hydroxyl
group)

If carbon 1 hydroxyl group is under the

Carbon it is an alpha glucose

If carbon 1 hydroxyl group is over Carbon it

is a Beta glucose
Disaccharide
s If we add water to a disaccharide, we can break glycosidic
bond and therefore form 2 monosaccharides, this is called
a hydrolysis reaction
- In cells this reaction is normally carried out by enzymes
2 monosaccharide molecules can react together to form 1
disaccharide molecule

Disaccharides form
when 2
monosaccharides
chemically react
together

Maltose = Alpha Glucose + Alpha Glucose

When forming a disaccharide, a new Sucrose = Glucose + fructose
bond is formed between 2 Lactose = Galactose +Glucose
molecules of alpha glucose, this is
called a glyosidic bond – glycosidic
Important points: bond is between C1 and C4 of one
1. When we react together 2 alpha and the other glucose, therefore this
glucose molecules, disaccharide made is called a 1,4 – Glycosidic bond
is maltose
2. When we make a disaccharide, we also
produce a molecule of water – formed
from H from one monosaccharide and
hydroxyl group of the other
1. When reaction forms water
molecule like this, this reaction
is called a condensation
reaction
Properties and Properties of water:
1. Very high specific heat capacity – you therefore need to put in/ take out a large amount of

role of water
energy to change the temperature of water
1. When we heat water, heat energy goes to weakening/ breaking hydrogen bonds,
instead of increasing KE of water molecules – due to this water acts as a buffer
against rapid temperature changes
Molecule of water contains 1 atom of oxygen chemically
1. Temperature of water does not tend to change rapidly, allowing water to act
bonded together with 2 atoms of hydrogen – bonds between
as a habitat for aquatic organisms
oxygen and hydrogen are covalent bond – in water molecules
2. Aquatic organisms would not be able to function if temperature of water
Oxygen has small negative charge and hydrogen atoms have
changed rapidly, like in cold/ hot days
small positive charge
- Due to these charges, scientists say water is a polar
2. If conditions are very cold, water freezes and turns to ice
molecule, opposite charges mean water molecules are
1. One key feature is that ice has a lower density than water, therefore ice can float on
ATTRACTED to each other
water
- Forces of attraction are called hydrogen bonds
2. Ice is also a habitat for a number of organisms

3. Ice insulates water below and prevents it from freezing

Hydrogen bonds are quite weak bonds, however
a small volume of water contains large number
of hydrogen bonds, therefore having a large
effect on the properties of water
1. This means organisms can live in the water under the ice
4. Water has a very high latent heat of vaporisation – it takes a large amount of heat energy to
evaporate water, allowing organisms to cool themselves without losing great amount of
water, e.g. sweating
1. During sweating heat energy is used to evaporate water from surface of skin – this
transfer of heat energy allows organisms to cool down

- In liquid water, water molecules are not

arranged neatly like this, instead they are
moving randomly – however hydrogen
bonds are still present
Properties and
role of water Pt. 2
Properties of water pt 2: 1. Water molecules tend to stick together – cohesion. This is due to
1. Water is an excellent solvent – therefore lots of substances can hydrogen bonds between water molecules
dissolve in water 1. Cohesion allows long columns of water to travel in xylem
1. Both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells contain LARGE AMOUNT tubes, making water ideal as a transport medium in plants
of DISSOLVED substances e.g. chemicals involved in metabolic 2. Cohesion also causes water tension where water meats air
reactions e.g. respiration and enzymes needed to carry out – it is useful as it allows surface of water to act as a habitat
these reactions e.g. for insects like pondskaters
2. Bodies of water e.g. ponds and rivers contain dissolved
Oxygen, which is used by organisms living in water to carry out 2. Water plays a REALLY IMPORTANT ROLE in metabolic reactions e.g.
respiration, making water an EXCELLENT habitat for aquatic water is a reactant in many different reactions e.g. hydrolysis
organisms photosynthesis
3. Due to water being such a good solvent it can be used to 1. Water is also produced in certain metabolic reactions e.g.
transport substances e.g. in the blood plasma condensation and aerobic respiration
1. Blood plasma is the liquid part of the blood, which
contains a LARGE amount of dissolved substances e.g.
CO2, mineral ions such as sodium ion and chemicals
such as glucose/amino acids
4. Water is also used to transport substances in the xylem vessels
of the plant
1. Water in xylem contains mineral ions like magnesium
ion, which pass into plant roots from soil and
transported by xylem from roots to leaves
2. Once in leaves, magnesium ions are used to make
chlorophyll for photosynthesis
5. Therefore because water is such a good solvent, it is an
excellent transport medium