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Topic 2 - Molecular Biology

2.3 - Carbohydrates
and Lipids

Fundamental idea: Carbon

compounds, hydrogen
and oxygen are used to
supply energy and store it.
 Competencies

CEE-8. Confront preconceived ideas about natural

phenomena with scientific knowledge to explain and
acquire new knowledge.
 2.3 Carbohydrates and Lipids

• 2.3.1 Explain that monosaccharide monomers are linked

together by condensation reactions to form
disaccharides and polysaccharide polymers.
• 2.3.2 Outline that fatty acids can be saturated,
monounsaturated and polyunsaturated.
• 2.3.3 Outline that unsaturated fatty acids can be cis or
trans isomers.
• 2.3.4 Explain that triglycerides are formed by
condensation from three fatty acids and one glycerol.
 2.3.1 Explain that monosaccharide monomers are linked together by
condensation reactions to form disaccharides and polysaccharide polymers.

Comprehension

●Monomers are the building blocks of what

biomolecules are made of.
●Carbohydrates are composed by 3 elements: CHO
and have hydroxyl groups (–OH) in their
molecules.
●The monomer for a carbohydrate is called a
monosaccharide. (one carbohydrate molecule).
●Two or more monomer molecules form a
polymer.
 EXAMPLES
Carbohydrates
Monosaccharides: Individual units of sugar.
Glucose, fructose and ribose.

Disaccharides: Two monosaccharides linked

together.
Maltose (two glucose molecules), Lactose (glucose
+ galactose) and sucrose (glucose + fructose).

Where can
Polysaccharides: Many we find these
monosaccharides linked compounds?
Fruits,
together. lactose,
Cellulose, starch and glycogen. Do you know
their
function?
 Image retrieved on Aug/01/2016 from: Allot, A., y Mindorff, D. (2014)Biology. 2014 Edition. Oxford IB Diploma Program. Editorial
Carbohydrates
When monosaccharides combine, they do so by a
process called condensation.

Hidrogenación:
ENERGY: anabolism
ATP
Es como si le añadieras hidrógeno a una moléc
sólidas, como la margarina.
Hidrólisis:

Es cuando divides una molécula usando agua, c

The covalent bond that binds glucose with glucose:
comida o cuando se fabrican ciertos productos q

“Breaks with water”

Oxford. p. 75
 Carbohydrates

• Condensation: involves the loss of an

–OH from one molecule and
an –H from another molecule, which
together form H2O, thus a
condensation reaction yields water.

• Linking together monosaccharides to

form disaccharides and
polysaccharides is an anabolic
process where energy is required
and it is supplied by the ATP
= Transport energy
molecules.
Image retrieved on Aug/01/2016 from: Allot, A. & Mindorff, D. (2014)Biology. 2014 Edition. Oxford IB Diploma Program. Editorial Oxford. p. 75
 Monomer: Glucose White: h
Black: c
Red: oxygen

● Investigate the
molecular formula of
glucose.
● How many atoms of
carbon, hydrogen and
oxygen does it have?
● Identify in the model
which color represents
the C, H and O atoms.
● How many –OH groups
does glucose have?

Image retrieved on Aug/01/2016 from: Allot, A., y Mindorff, D. (2014)Biology. 2014 Edition. Oxford IB Diploma Program. Editorial Oxford.
Applications
Structure and function of cellulose and starch in plants and of
glycogen in human beings.

What do
cellulose,
starch and
glycogen have
in common?
 Cellulose: Structure & Function
● Cellulose is the most
abundant organic molecule
in nature.

● It is a polymer of glucose
molecules.

● It's what the cell walls of

plant cells are made of.

● What type of bond links

Bond that binds many glucose: glycoside
together many glucose
molecules?________ Glucose: monosaccharides

Allot, A; Mindorff, D., Azcue, J. (2015) Biología. Oxford. IB Programa del Diploma
 Where can
Starch: Structure & Function
polisaccharide
starch be
found?

Allot, A; Mindorff, D., Azcue, J. (2015) Biología. Oxford. IB Programa del Diploma
● It´s hydrophilic, but starch
molecules are too large and
this is what makes them
insoluble in water.

● It is a storage of glucose
and long-term energy
(energy reserve) in plants.

● It is the main source of

nutrition of carbohydrates
for humanity.

Imagen obtenida de: http://www.textoscientificos.com/quimica/carbohidratos/polisacaridos

 Glycogen: Structure & Function
• It has a similar structure to the branched form of starch, but
there is more branching, making the molecule more compact.
• It is made by animals and some fungi.
• It is stored in the liver and some muscles in humans.
• Glycogen has the same function in animals as starch in
plants, it acts as an energy storage.

Molecule that stores energy in plants: starch

Molecule that stores energy in animals: glycogen

Imagen 6
Allot, A; Mindorff, D., Azcue, J. (2015) Biología. Oxford. IB Programa del Diploma
 2.3.2 Outline that fatty acids can be saturated, monounsaturated
and polyunsaturated.

● Lipids are a diverse group of carbon compounds that

share the property of being insoluble in water.

● They are also composed by three elements: CHO, but

with much less oxygen atoms than carbohydrates and
with carboxyl groups (–COOH) in their molecules.

● Triglycerides are one of the principal groups of lipid.

● Examples of triglycerides are the fat in adipose tissue

in humans and the oil in sunflower seeds.
 2.3.2 Outline that fatty acids can be saturated, monounsaturated
and polyunsaturated.

● Fats are liquid at body temperature (37ºC) but solid at

room temperature (20ºC) whereas oils are liquid at both
body and room temperature.

● Some examples of lipids are cholesterol, steroids, sexual

hormones, some vitamins (A,D,K), phospholipids of the
cell membrane, waxes, etc.

● The building blocks of lipids are the fatty acids.

Fatty acids can be saturated, monounsaturated or
polyunsaturated.
• They are compounds formed by
carbon chains linked to hydrogen
atoms by covalent bonds that have,
on one end of the molecule, a
carboxyl group–COOH which makes
them organic acids.

• Chains of 14 to 20 carbon atoms.

• They have single and double

covalent bonds between carbon
atoms.

Allot, A; Mindorff, D., Azcue, J. (2015) Biología. Oxford. IB Programa del Diploma
 Fatty acids can be saturated, monounsaturated or
polyunsaturated.
• Can be classified into:
Carboxyl group doesn’t count
– Saturated (contain all the hydrogen
atoms possible, single bonds
between carbons).
– Unsaturated (contain less hydrogen
atoms, have double bonds between
carbons and there are two types:
• Monounsaturated when they
have only one double covalent
bond.
• Polyunsaturated when they have
more than one double covalent
bond in their structure.

Allot, A; Mindorff, D., Azcue, J. (2015) Biología. Oxford. IB Programa del Diploma
 2.3.3 Outline that unsaturated fatty acids can be cis
or trans isomers.

• Isomers: Compounds that have the same molecular formula,

their atoms present the same distribution, but the position of
some of them in space is different.
• Unsaturated fatty acids can be cis o trans.

Imagen recuperada de http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--Z9Is_HEy5k/Ua-6HfD_mLI/AAAAAAAACQw/pecHNRVvlc4/s1600/cis+trans+2+copy.jpg

Allot, A; Mindorff, D., Azcue, J. (2015) Biología. Oxford. IB Programa del Diploma
 Cis & Trans Fatty Acids

Structure of unsaturated fatty acids.

• Triglycerides that contain cis-

unsaturated fatty acids are
usually liquid at room
temperature: they are oils.

• Trans-fatty acids are solid at

room temperature. They are
produced artificially by partial
hydrogenation of vegetable or
fish oils to produce solid fats for
use in margarine and some other
processed food.
Allot, A; Mindorff, D., Azcue, J. (2015) Biología. Oxford. IB Programa del Diploma
 Fatty acids.
(Source)

Saturated Unsaturated
• Animal:
Butter, bacon, Trans
meat, dairy Cis
products.
• Vegetables Artificial
: made Polyunsaturated Monounsaturated
Coconut and Processed
palm oils, foods,
dairy Omega-9
processed Omega -3
products, (Oleic acid)
foods. • Vegetable Omega-6
partially • Vegetable
s (Linoleic s:
hydrogenated
(Alfa-linolenic acid) Olives,
oils, some
acid): Vegetable oils avocado, olive
margarines.
Nuts and leafy (corn, oil, nuts.
vegetables; soybean, • Animal:
flax, canola, sunflower, , lamb, dairy
EPA= eicosapentaenoic acid soybean and peanut) products.
DHA= docosahexaenoic acid walnut oils.
Are highly unsaturated fats that play a very • Marine
important role on the vision development and animals
brain function.
(EPA and
DHA): Essential
Fish, sea food,
fish oils.

Image retrieved from:

Image retrieved from: http://biomodel.uah.es/model2/lip/fig/acgr-dieta.png
http://nutricion.ferato.com/images/b/ba/Vd_20120226_acidos_grasos_trans.jpg
 2.3.4 Explain that triglycerides are formed by
condensation from three fatty acids and one
glycerol.

• The linkage formed between each fatty acid and the glycerol is an ester bond.
• The esterification reaction occurs when the -COOH group of a fatty acid reacts with the -
OH group of an alcohol.
• Triglycerides are used as energy storage.

Allot, A; Mindorff, D., Azcue, J. (2015) Biología. Oxford. IB Programa del Diploma
 What is the function of fats in living organisms?
Application

Imagen recuperada de: http://despuesdelasesion.wordpress.com/2010/12/05/si-estas-a-dieta-registra-adecuadamente-tu-peso/

Applications
Lipids are more suitable for long term energy storage than carbohydrates in
animals and humans.

• The stored lipids are fats.

• They are stored in a specialized group of cells

called adipose tissue.

• Fats are poor conductors of heat, thus they

can be used as heat insulators.
(subcutaneous adipose tissue next to the
skin).

• Fat or adipose tissue is also liquid at body

temperature (37°C), so it acts as a shock
absorber, this is needed to protect the
kidneys and some other organs.

• Stored lipids double the amount of energy

released than the energy released by
carbohydrates.
Imagen recuperada de: http://despuesdelasesion.wordpress.com/2010/12/05/si-estas-a-dieta-registra-adecuadamente-tu-peso/
 Health Risks of Fats:
Scientific evidence of health risks of trans fats and saturated fats.
There have been many claims about the effects of different
types of fat on human health. The main concern is the
coronary heart disease (CHD). In this disease the coronary
arteries become partially blocked by fatty deposits, leading to
blood clot formation and heart attacks.
A positive correlation has been found between saturated fatty
acid intake and rates of CHD in many research programs.
However, finding a correlation does not prove that saturated
fats cause the disease. It could be another factor with
saturated fat intake, such as low amount of dietary fiber, that
actually causes CHD.
There are populations that do not fit the correlation. The
Maasai of Kenya for example, have a diet that is reach in
meat, fat, blood and milk. They therefore have a high
consumption of saturated fats, yet CHD is almost unknown
among the Maasai. Figure 17 shows members of another
Kenyan tribe that show this trend.
Diets rich in olive oil, which contain cis-monounsaturated
fatty acids, are traditionally eaten in countries around the
Mediterranean. The population of these countries
typically have low rates of CHD and it has been claimed
Allot, A; Mindorff, D., Azcue, J. (2015) Biología. Oxford. IB Programa del Diploma
that this is due to the intake of cis-monounsaturated fatty
acids. However, genetic factors in these populations, or
other aspects of the diet such as the use of tomatoes in
many dishes could explain the CHD rates.
There is also a positive correlation between amounts of
trans-fats consumed and rates of CHD. Other risk factors
have been tested, to see if they can account for the
correlation, but none did. Trans-fats therefore probably do
cause CHD. In patients who have died from CHD, fatty
deposits in the diseased arteries have been found to
contain high concentrations of trans-fats, which gives
more evidence of a causal link.
 Reference
• Allot, A., Mindorff, D., Azcue, J. (2015). Biology
Course Companion. United Kingdom: Oxford
University Press.

[Image] Retrieved from: https://global.oup.com/education/product/9780198392118/?region=international

• Damon, A., McGonegal, R, Tosto, P., Ward, W.

(2014). SL Biology (2nd edition). Pearson Education
Limited.
 Compare cellulose, starch and glycogen
cellulose is what gives leaves, stalks, stems, and trunks of trees their strength and support. Glycogen is a
polysaccharide that is produced by animals and functions as an energy storage molecule. Starches are
polysaccharides that are produced by plants and function as energy storage molecules.

Protein functions:
Catalysis: Thousands of different enzymes catalyse specific chemical reactions
Blood clotting: Plasma proteins act as ckotting factors that cause blood to turn from liquid to gel.
Transport of nutrients and gases: Proteins in blood help transpo ocygen, carbon dioxide, iron and lipids
Cell adhesion
Hormones
Inmunity
Saturated fatty acids are solid in room temperature.
cis-unsaturated fatty acids are usually liquid at room temperature
Trans-fatty acids are solid at room temperature.
Proteins
Rubisco
Insulin
Imminoglobulim
Collagen Ribosomes are able to link amino acids together to form a polypeptide,
Rhodopsin
Spider silk