Biological Molecules

Year 10
Carbohydrates

● Carbohydrates include starch, cellulose and sugar.

● Carbohydrate molecules are made from three elements – carbon, hydrogen and
oxygen.
● Glucose is a simple sugar ( a monosaccharide)
● When 2 glucose molecules join together maltose is formed (a disaccharide)
● When lots of glucose molecules join together starch, glycogen or cellulose can
form (a polysaccharide)
Carbohydrates

● The simplest types of carbohydrate, with the smallest molecules, are sugars.
Sugars taste sweet. They are soluble in water.
● One type of sugar is glucose.
● A glucose molecule is made of six carbon atoms, twelve hydrogen atoms and six
oxygen atoms. Its formula is C6 H12 O 6. These atoms are arranged to form a
hexagon shape
● Glucose is the way that carbohydrates are transported around the human body.
Glucose dissolves in blood plasma, which delivers it to every cell. Cells need
glucose for energy.
Benedict’s solution is blue, and it
changes to orange-red when it is
heated with reducing sugars such as
glucose. The colour change is gradual,
so the blue solution becomes green
and yellow before finally turning
orange-red
Objectives

Describe the structure of DNA as:

– two strands coiled together to form a double helix – each strand

contains chemicals called bases

– cross-links between the strands are formed by pairs of bases

– the bases always pair up in the same way: A with T, and C with G
Structure of DNA

DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the molecule that contains the instructions

for growth and development of all organisms.

It consists of two strands of DNA wound around each other in what is called a
double helix
The individual units of DNA are called nucleotides
The phosphate and sugar section of the nucleotides form the ‘backbone’ of
the DNA strand (like the sides of a ladder) and the base pairs of each
strand connect to form the rungs of the ladder
All nucleotides contain the same phosphate and deoxyribose sugar, but differ from
each other in the base attached

There are four different bases, Adenine (A), Cytosine (C), Thymine (T) and
Guanine (G

The bases on each strand pair up with each other, holding the two strands of DNA
in the double helix

The bases always pair up in the same way:

Adenine always pairs with Thymine (A-T)

Cytosine always pairs with Guanine (C-G)

The DNA helix is made from two strands of DNA held together by hydrogen
bonds.

It is this sequence of bases that holds the code for the formation of proteins.
Water
Objectives

Describe the roles of water as a solvent in organisms with respect to digestion,

excretion and transport.
Importance as a Solvent

Water is important for all living organisms as many substances are able to
dissolve in it (it is a solvent)

This makes it incredibly useful and essential for all life on Earth
 Role within Organisms
Water is important as a solvent in the following situations within organisms:

Dissolved substances can be easily transported around organisms – eg xylem

and phloem of plants and dissolved food molecules in the blood

Digested food molecules are in the alimentary canal but need to be moved to
cells all over the body – without water as a solvent this would not be able to
happen
Role within Organisms

Water is important as a solvent in the following situations within organisms:

Toxic substances such as urea and substances in excess of requirements

such as salts can dissolve in water which makes them easy to remove
from the body in urine

Water is also an important part of the cytoplasm and plays a role in

ensuring metabolic reactions can happen as necessary in cells
Which element is found in proteins but not carbohydrates?
A carbon
B hydrogen
C nitrogen
D oxygen
The bases on one of the strands of a DNA molecule have the sequence shown.
A-A-T-C-T-G
What is the corresponding sequence of bases on the other strand?
A A-A-T-C-T-G
B C-C-G-A-G-T
C G-G-C-T-C-A
D T-T-A-G-A-C
A test was performed on a food substance. A positive result was shown
by a colour change to blue-black.
What solution was used for the test?
A biuret solution
B DCPIP solution
C iodine solution
D Benedict’s solution
Which food-testing solution shows a positive result when it turns from
blue to purple?

A Benedict’s solution
B biuret solution
C ethanol
D iodine solution