10 Name:__________________________________________Year/Section:______________________

SCIENCE 10
Quarter 4–Module 3
BIOMOLECULES: Carbohydrates & Lipids

Competency:
●Recognize the major categories of biomolecules, such as carbohydrates, lipids, protein, and nucleic acid (S10MT-
IVc- d-22)

I. Presentation:

Carbohydrates
Since food is always a part of our lives it is important that we know the nutrients found in the food
we eat. Carbohydrates are the major source of energy for the body. These are simple sugar, starch and cellulose.
All carbohydrates contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. These may be classified the following:

Monosaccharides
From the prefix “mono” which means one, monosaccharide is the simplest sugar and the basic
subunit of a carbohydrate. These compounds are white solids at room temperature. Because they have polar,
hydroxyl (-OH) groups in their molecular structures, they are very soluble in water. The most common
monosaccharides are glucose (also called dextrose) and fructose.
Although both of these monosaccharides have the formula C6H12O6 , their structural formulas differ. As
figure 3 shows, glucose in water solution forms a ring made up of five carbon atoms and one oxygen atom, and
fructose in a water solution forms a ring made up of four carbon atoms and one oxygen atom. Both compounds
have five-OH groups in their structures.
Compounds with the same molecular formulas are called isomers. So, glucose and fructose are
isomers. Though they have the same molecular formula, these sugars cannot be used in the same way by cells
in the body. The arrangement of the C, H, and O atoms determines the shape and properties of each sugar.
During digestion, carbohydrates are broken down into monosaccharide which is absorbed into the
blood and transported to the cells providing “instant” energy to perform our activities. Sometimes we eat too
much, especially when we are tired, the excess glucose is stored in the liver as glycogen for later use. It is very
important to have a steady supply of glucose in the blood to maintain body functions. As what they say, too
much or too little of anything may lead to some diseases. When too much glucose is in the blood, the pancreas
secrete a hormone called insulin which stimulates cells in the liver, muscles and fat to absorb glucose and
transform it into glycogen or fats, which can be stored for a period of time. When blood glucose drops, the
pancreas secretes glucagon, which causes the liver, muscles and fat to convert glycogen back to glucose. Fruits
like grapes, apple or atis contain a monosaccharide called fructose or fruit sugar. It is considered the sweetest
naturally occurring sugar. Due to its sweetness, fructose is sometimes used as a low calorie sweetener because
less fructose is needed to produce the same sweetness that table sugar does. Starchy food that we eat is widely
distributed in the plant world. Thus, its main constituent glucose is found in all plants and in the sap of trees.
However, glucose is also found in glycogen that is produced in animal cells
.
 Disaccharides
It is also called sucrose with the molecular formula C12H22O11 through the formation and breakdown of
sucrose to glucose involves two reactions. Condensation reaction is a reaction in which two molecules or parts
of the same molecule combine. During the condensation of monosaccharides to form disaccharides, one
molecule of water is lost. When two glucose molecules are combined, maltose is formed and water is lost during
the process. A Hydrolysis reaction occurs when the bond between monosaccharides is broken with the addition
of a water molecule.
What other importance of disaccharide? Lactose or milk sugar. Lactose is made up of a sugar called
galactose and glucose. In our body, a specific enzyme, lactase is necessary to help break the bond between the
two monosaccharides when lactose is digested. People who cannot digest milk products are called “lactose
intolerant” because they do not produce the enzyme (lactase) necessary to break the bond between glucose and
galactose. Since lactose molecules are too large to be absorbed into the circulatory system, they continue through
the digestive system, where they are eventually broken down by bacteria in the large intestine. These bacteria
digest monosaccharides, producing carbon dioxide gas in the process. As a result, a common symptom of lactose
intolerance is a build up of intestinal gas along with a bloated feeling, and more often the passing out of
undigested lactose as diarrhea.

Polysaccharides
Why the food samples like sweet potato and ripe banana turned blue-black when stained with iodine
solution? These foods contain polysaccharides (the prefix poly means many) or complex carbohydrates. They
are large molecules that are made up of many smaller units that are joined together. The reason why these foods
turn blue-black is because they contain starchy components.
The three common polysaccharides starch, glycogen, and cellulose.
The breakdown of starch requires a water molecule to provide a hydrogen atom and a hydroxyl group
to the site where the bond is broken. With the help of enzymes in the digestive system, the glucose units can be
separated from one another. When a glucose molecule is separated from the rest of the starch polymer; it can be
absorbed and used as fuel by your cells. Since it takes time for glucose to be separated from the polysaccharide,
it is released to the cells gradually. Thus, the glucose from starch reaches muscle cells over a period of time
providing energy as it is needed.
Starch is the chief storage form of carbohydrates in plants and the most important source of carbohydrate
in human nutrition. A starch molecule is a polysaccharide assembled from the simple sugar glucose; it can
contain anywhere from five hundred to several hundred thousand glucose molecules joined by covalent bonds
into a single structure. Starch is made up of two types of polysaccharides: amylose, which is a coiled or helical
structure, and amylopectin, which is branched. Plants make starch. All individuals whose intake of glucose is
excessive will store the excess glucose as fat for long term storage and some are converted to another
polysaccharide glycogen. Glycogen is a polysaccharide that is similar to starch because it is also composed of
alpha glucose units. It differs from starch since glycogen shows a higher degree of branching and is a
polysaccharide that is made by animal. On the other hand, starch contains both straight chain and branched
polysaccharides with much less branching than that of glycogen, and is made only by plant.
Glycogen is the readily available energy stored in liver and muscles and the one that is easily
metabolized. Fats are stored in adipose tissues but unlike glycogen, are not as readily metabolized. They are
used during prolonged exercise or activity.
The glucose molecules in cellulose chains are arranged in such a way that hydrogen bonds link hydroxyl
groups of adjacent glucose molecules to form insoluble fibrous sheets. These sheets of cellulose are the basic
component of plant. People cannot digest cellulose, but when we eat foods rich in fiber, which is cellulose, it
speeds the movement of food through the digestive tracts. It is a food for herbivorous animals like cows,
carabaos, goats, and horses. These animals have microorganisms in their digestive tracts that can digest
cellulose. They have a special stomach chamber that holds the plants they eat for a long period of time, during
which these microorganisms can break down the cellulose into glucose. The protozoans in the gut of insects
such as termites also digest cellulose.
 Being of great economic importance, cellulose is processed to produce papers and fibres, and is chemically
modified to yield substances used in the manufacture of items such as plastics, photographic films, and rayon.
Other cellulose derivatives are used as adhesives, explosives, thickening agents for foods, and in moisture-proof
coatings.
Likewise, starch has many industrial applications in addition to its importance in human nutrition. It is
used in the manufacture of paper, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and biodegradable polymers, and as an additive in
foods.

Lipids
In the previous lesson, you have learned that carbohydrates are important in providing “instant” energy
for cells. There is another class of biomolecules called lipids that have the “job” of storing energy for later use.
Lipids are also found in hormones and cell membrane components.
Lipids have different structural types such as carboxylic acids or fatty acids, triglycerides or neutral fats,
steroids, and waxes, to name a few. Naturally occuring esters are lipids that contain one or more long-chain
carboxylic acids called fatty acids. These are insoluble in water but soluble in nonpolar solvents.
Why oil and water do not mix? The reason why is because they do not have the same polarity. Also, oils
are composed primarily of long hydrocarbon chains. They are formed reaction between an alcohol and one or
more long–chain carboxylic acids. The most abundant of the lipids are the fats and oils, also called triglycerides.
Table 4 below shows the structures of common fatty acids. The presence of double bonds in the fatty acids
lowers its melting point. At room temperature, lauric acid is solid while linoleic acid is liquid.
Fats are solids at room temperature and contain saturated fatty acids. The saturated hydrocarbons contain
single bonds and they are produced only by animals. Examples of animal fats are lard and butter.
Oils are liquids at room temperature and contain unsaturated fatty acids. The unsaturated hydrocarbons
contain one or more double bonds. Most oils, such as vegetable oil, corn oil, and olive oil, are produced by
plants.
If you eat in moderation, fats are good sources of body fuel. They are considered good emergency food
and are efficient energy storage system. However, an excess quantity of fats is not good for the heart. The reason
why fats are not good for the heart is because they tend to clog arteries and overwork the heart .While
carbohydrates are the main source of energy in your body, your system turns it to fat as a backup energy source
when carbohydrates are not available. Vitamins A, D, E, and K cannot function without adequate daily fat intake
since they are fat soluble vitamins. If you don’t meet your daily fat intake or follow a low fat diet, absorption of
these vitamins may be limited resulting in impaired functioning.
Steroids are another class of lipids whose molecules are composed of fused rings of atoms. The most
important steroid is cholesterol. It is a sterol because of the presence of alcohol or the hydroxyl functional group.
It is found mainly in animal cells although cell membranes of plants may contain small quantities of cholesterol
as well as its major derivatives, sitosterol.
Cholesterol plays an important role in eukaryotes and especially abundant in cell membranes of animal
cells. Small amount of cholesterol can also be found in the membrane of some organelles inside the cells, such
as the mitochondrion and the endoplasmic reticulum. It is not only abundant in cell membrane, but also in brain
tissues of the nervous system. An important nerve cell, myelin, covers nerve axons to help conduct the electrical
impulses that make movement, sensation, thinking, learning, and remembering possible. Studies have shown
that cholesterol was found to be the most important factor in the formation of synapses, which greatly affect our
memory and learning ability. Animals are able to use cholesterol to synthesize other steroids like cortisone,
testosterone, and estrogen. Cholesterol is an essential lipid for humans, excessive levels of cholesterol in the
blood can lead to deposits in the arteries of the heart. These arterial deposits are a leading cause of heart disease.

II. Application
 Fill in the blank. Choose the word(s) provided inside the box. Write your
answer on the space provided for.

condensation reaction carbohydrates lipids

starch C6H12O6 hydrolysis

________________1. It is the chief storage of form of carbohydrates in plants.

________________2. The major source of energy for the body

________________3. It is a reaction in which two molecules or parts of the same

molecule combine

________________4. The molecular formula for glucose

________________5.It provides instant energy for cells.

III. Assessment:
Multiple Choice: Directions: Read the questions carefully and encircle the
letter of the correct answer.

1. Which of the following is the major function of carbohydrates?

1. structural framework
2. storage
3. energy production
A. 1 only b. 2 only c. 3 only d. 1 & 3 only

2. Which of the following term refers to the combination of two types of monosaccharides?

A. monosaccharide C. polysaccharide
B. disaccharide D. lygase

3. Disaccharide is formed by combining two monsaccharides. What do you call the process of combining
two or more simple sugars?

A. hydrolysis C. peptide bonding

B. condensation D. saccharide bonding
.
4. Lipids are insoluble in water because lipid molecules are _________?
A. hydrophilic C. hydrophobic
B. neutral D. Zwitter ions

5. Which of the following groups are all classified as polysaccharide?

A. sucrose, glucose and fructose C. glycogen, sucrose and maltose

B. maltose, lactose and fructose D. glycogen, cellulose and starch

Development Team of the Module

Writer: