Which substances do bees use to build honeycombs?

How
bees build their honeycombs
 Topic: Classification of lipid

Objective:
- describe the chemical structure and function of lipids
 Lipids
Phospholipid - a lipid containing a phosphate group in its
molecule

Steroid - a type of lipid

Wax - a lipid made up of a chain of alkanes or esters from

alcohols and fatty acids
 Phospholipids
Phospholipids include phosphorus (P) in addition to C, H, and O.

Phospholipids = glycerol + 2 fatty acid + phosphoric acid molecule

A phospholipid has 2 distinct regions: polar head and nonpolar tails

- The “phosphoric” part(polar head) of the molecule has polar hydroxyl groups (-OH)
groups which make it hydrophilic (water-loving). Hydrophilic head is attracted to
water molecules.

- Another part(nonpolar tails) of the molecule including 2 fatty acids is hydrophobic

(water-hating). Hydrophobic tails repel water molecules.
 Wax
Wax is composed of a single long-chain fatty acid linked to a long-chain alcohol

Very hydrophobic because of their long nonpolar chains

Animals cannot digest wax

Waxes form waterproof coverings in living organisms.

These covers stop water from getting in, and for terrestrial plants and animals, it
prevents water loss.

For example, feathers of birds are coated with wax to repel the water. Also, insects
have a waxy cuticle to prevent water loss.
 Steroid
Cholesterol is a well-known steroid

It is produced in the liver and supplied in the diet

It is a vital component of the cell membrane that helps keep fluid

All other steroids and vitamin D are synthesised from cholesterol

Some hormones are steroids such as aldosterone, progesterone, and testosterone.