bio topic 4

• Biological molecules


  Important in organisms to build structures and for use in metabolic reactions
• Large molecules


  Made when many smaller molecules bind together
• Biological molecules


  • Carbohydrates
  • Fats
  • Proteins
  • Water
  • DNA
• Carbohydrates


  • Made up of many sugar molecules, containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms
  • Glucose is a small sugar molecule
  • When many glucose molecules bind together in a chain, cellulose, starch and glycogen can be made
  • Cellulose is used for structure and makes up plant cell walls
  • Starch and glucose are stored in cells and used in respiration to provide energy for the organism
  • Starch is stored in plants, whereas glycogen is stored in animals
• Fats


  • Made up of glycerol and fatty acids, which contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
  • Fats have a variety of roles in organisms including insulation, energy, waterproofing, structure and protection around delicate organs
• Proteins


  • Made up of nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and sulphur
  • These elements make up amino acids, which bind together in a chain to make proteins
  • Different arrangements of amino acids make up different proteins and form different shapes
  • Enzymes are proteins; each enzyme's active site has a specific shape, allowing it to bind to a specific substrate molecule to catalyze metabolic reactions
  • Antibodies also have a specific shape, formed by a specific sequence of amino acids, which allows them to bind to antigens on foreign pathogens to kill them
• Water


  • Acts as a solvent in which chemical reactions occur
  • Helps to maintain a constant temperature in the body
  • Is a metabolite
  • Needed for digestion to provide a medium for enzymes to act in and to allow free passage of digestive products, so they can be absorbed into the blood
  • Allows soluble molecules, such as the products of digestion, to be transported around the body and through cell membranes
  • Transports waste products such as urea and carbon dioxide to be excreted
• DNA


  • Composed of two strands coiled around each other to form a double helix
  • Each strand is made up of a sugar backbone with bases attached
  • These bases bind to bases on the other strand to form cross-links when they are wound together
  • There are four types of base: G, C, A and T
  • G always binds to C and A always binds to T
• Starch test


  1. Add iodine solution to the sample

  2. A colour change to blue-black indicates the presence of starch
• Reducing sugars test


  1. Use Benedict's solution, which contains copper sulphate and turns blue

  2. When a reducing sugar is added and heated to 80°C, the Cu2+ ions are reduced to an insoluble brick red copper (I) oxide
• Protein test


  1. Place the sample solution in a test tube with an equal amount of sodium hydroxide solution

  2. Add a few drops of dilute copper II sulphate solution

  3. If the sample turns purple, a protein is present in the sample

  4. If it remains blue, no protein is present
• Fats and oils test

  1. Place sample in a test tube and add ethanol

  2. Shake tube to dissolve any fats and oils

  3. Add water and shake gently

  4. If the sample contains fats or oils, it will turn cloudy white
• Vitamin C test


  1. Add DCPIP solution to a test tube, this is a blue colour

  2. Add the sample and shake gently

  3. If the DCPIP becomes colourless, vitamin C is present