September 16, 2013

Fats (Lipids) and

Carbohydrates

Reading: Chapter 3
 Last time
Nucleic Acids (DNA and RNA)
Nucleic Acids are polymers of nucleotide
phosphates
Nucleic acids have a sugar-phosphate backbone
In DNA, the sugar is deoxyribose and the bases
are A, T, G, and C
In RNA, the sugar is ribose and the bases are A,
U, G, and C
Base pairing occurs between A and T, A and U,
and G and C
Adenine and guanine are purines; Thymine,
uracil and cytosine are pyrimidines
Biological Functions of Molecules
Nucleic Acids (DNA & RNA): Storage and
transmission of hereditary information
Proteins:
Machinery (catalysis, defense, transport, motion,
regulation)
Support (collagen) and storage (casein)
Lipids: Structure and energy storage
Carbohydrates: Structure and energy storage
 Nucleosides and Nucleotides
Base Nucleoside Nucleotide
(Base+Sugar) Base+Sugar+Phosphate(s)
Adenine Adenosine Adenosine phosphate
(or deoxy- (or diphosphate
adenosine) or triphosphate)
Guanine Guanosine
Thymine Thymidine
Cytosine Cytidine
Uracil Uridine
Biological Functions of Molecules
Lipids
Structure: Biological membranes (phospholipids
and cholesterol)
Energy storage: Triglycerides and fats
Carbohydrates
Structure: Plant cell walls (cellulose) and animal
exoskeletons (chitin)
Energy storage: Glycogen and starch
 Energy Storage

Triglyceride

Which yields more energy (per gram) when

oxidized to CO2 and H2O?
 Energy Storage

Fats yield about 9 kcal/gram

Carbohydrates yield close to 4 kcal/gram

(Carbohydrates already contain some

oxygen so they are already partially
oxidized)
 Lipid Structure: Triglyceride

Three fatty acids

attached to
glycerol
Is this polar or non-
polar?
 Unsaturated Fats Are More Fluid

Fatty acids may have C=C double bonds.

These have less than the maximum number of H atoms and are
unsaturated.
Lipid Structure: Phospholipids
Phosphatidylcholine or lecithin
How would a molecule like this be structured in water?
 Bilayers and Micelles
Fatty acids
(soaps) form
micelles
(high surface
area to volume
ratio)

Phospholipids
form bilayers
(low surface
area to volume
ratio)
Phospholipid Bilayers Make
Good Barriers

How do you keep water-soluble

molecules and ions from
crossing a membrane?
Carbohydrates Polymerize by
Dehydration Reactions

6
4 1
 Carbohydrates May Link At
Different Points

In glycogen and
starch, glucose usually 6
forms a 1-4 linkage 4 1
Branching may occur
through 1-6 linkages
Energy-Storing Carbohydrates

Starches are found in plants

Amylose is unbranched
Amylopectin is branched
Glycogen is found in animals and is highly
branched
Carbohydrate Structure
Open and closed forms

Structure of glucose
 Sugar Links May Be or
Glycogen and starch have links
Cellulose has links

 Sugar Links May Be or

We have enzymes to digest carbohydrates with
but not links
The link favors a strong fibrous sheet structure

What kind of carbohydrate has
a -linkage?

A) Starch
B) Glycogen
C) Cellulose
D) Sucrose
E) Amylose
A phospholipid differs from a triglyceride
because it has

A) a phosphate and head group instead of a

third fatty acid
B) no glycerol group
C) no unsaturated fatty acids
D) It is more hydrophobic
 Summary
Carbohydrates and lipids are both involved
in energy storage
Phospholipids are a major component of
biological membranes
Carbohydrates include structural forms
such as cellulose and chitin
Unsaturated fats have double bonds and
are more fluid than saturated fats
Carbohydrates form 1-4 linkages and may
also branch by forming other linkages
Linkages may be as in glycogen and
starch or as in cellulose
 Exam I
Wednesday
50 multiple choice questions
Answer sheet provided
Study material covered in lectures
Some questions will require you to figure
out answers
Covers chapters 1 - 3
 Sample Exam Question

This amino acid is

a) glutamine
b) glycine
c) leucine
d) proline
e) phenylalanine
 Exam I
Covers chapters 1 3

1. The Science of Biology

2. The Nature of Molecules and the
Properties of Water
3. The Chemical Building Blocks of Life
 Friday

Cell Structure

Reading: Chapter 4