Carbohydrates Lesson

​Carbohydrates

By Christopher Powers

What are molecules that all
living things need to survive?
What are their characteristics?
How are these molecules used

in living things?

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Intro to Carbon

● Carbon is an important element for two

reasons:

1. It has 4 valence electrons and can form

strong covalent bonds

2. Carbon atoms can bond to other carbon

atoms to form rings or unlimited chains

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Intro to Carbon

● Three major types of structures include:

Branching

Multiple Bonds

Rings

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Intro to Carbon

● There are millions of large,

complex structures that can
be formed using carbon.

● Most often, you can find

carbon bonded to oxygen,
hydrogen, or another carbon.

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Intro to Carbon

● Organic chemistry is a field that studies

compounds that contain carbon.

● These are called “organic compounds”

because they contain carbon.

● Examples: C6H12O6, CH4, etc.

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Intro to Carbon

● There are compounds that contain carbon

but are not considered organic.

● Examples: CO2, CO

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Intro to Carbon

● Compounds that do not contain carbon are

called “inorganic compounds.”

● Examples: H2O, NaCl, etc.

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Intro to Macromolecules

● Living things are made up of 4 specific

organic molecules.

● These are called “macromolecules” because

they are “giant molecules.”

● These molecules are formed using a chemical

process called polymerization.

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Intro to Macromolecules

● Monomers are the smaller pieces that are joined

together to make a polymer, which is a larger
molecule.

● Monomers in a polymer may be identical or they

may be different.

● There are 2 processes used to build up and break

down polymers.

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Intro to Macromolecules

● The bonds holding the monomers together store

energy.

● The amount of energy stored in these bonds varies

with the type of molecule formed.

● As a result, not all organic molecules have the

same amount of energy available for use by the
organism.

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Intro to Macromolecules

● The four organic compounds, or macromolecules,

that are found in living things are called:

Lipids

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Intro to Macromolecules

● The four organic compounds, or macromolecules,

that are found in living things are called:

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Carbohydrates

● Carbohydrates are made up of carbon, hydrogen,

and oxygen, abbreviated as CHO.

● They are usually found in a 1:2:1 ratio in their

formulas.
○ Ex: glucose = C6H12O6 = 1:2:1 x 6 = 6:12:6
○ This will help you tell carbohydrates from lipids.

● They can be small like glucose or large like starch.

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Carbohydrates

● These are used as the primary source of fuel for all

organisms and for short term energy storage.

● Cells receive energy when complex carbohydrates

are broken down into simple sugars.

● These simple sugars are used as fuel during

cellular respiration, releasing energy that is stored
in the form of ATP.

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Carbohydrates

● They are also used for structure, such as plants

using cellulose in their cell walls.
○ Also known as fiber, which stimulates the

digestive system in animals.

● Lastly, they are used as raw materials for the cells

to synthesize other molecules needed, such as
fatty acids and amino acids.

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Types of Carbohydrates

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Multiple Choice

Starch and sugar are examples of which macromolecule group?

• carbohydrates
• lipids
• nucleic acid
• protein

Multiple Choice

What kinds of atoms are bonded to carbon atoms in the molecule shown in Figure 2–2?

• a. helium, oxygen, and nitrogen
• b. calcium, hydrogen, and oxygen
• c. hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen
• d. helium, carbon, and sodium

Monosaccharides

● The monomer of carbohydrates are

monosaccharides, or simple sugars (C6H12O6)

● Ex: glucose (green plants), galactose (milk), and

fructose (fruit)

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Multiple Choice

Pictured is the line drawing of the amino acid Isoleucine. How many Carbons are in isoleucine?

• 6
• 4
• 3
• 2

Polysaccharides

● Polysaccharides are made up of more than two

monosaccharides and are often quite large.

● Ex: Cellulose (used for structure in plant cell walls),

starch (excess sugar storage in plants), glycogen
(excess sugar storage in animals), and chitin
(exoskeleton of insects and crustaceans)

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Polysaccharides

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Multiple Choice

The monomer Modnosaccarides belongs to which macromolecule? 

• Carbohydrates
• Lipids
• Proteins
• Nucleic Acids

Carbohydrate Facts

● Carbs are soluble in water
● You receive 4 kCal/g of energy
● Their names typically end in

-ose

● Cellulose is the most

abundant macromolecule
on earth

“This is how I cut carbs on

the weekend…”

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Multiple Choice

The monomer amino acid belongs to which macromolecule? 

• Carbohydrates
• Lipids
• Proteins
• Nucleic Acid

Multiple Choice

The monomer of a nucleotide  belongs to which macromolecule? 

• Carbohydrates
• Lipids
• Proteins
• Nucleic Acid

Food Examples

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Multiple Choice

The monomer of a fatty acid + glycerol belongs to which macromolecule? 

• Carbohydrates
• Lipids
• Proteins
• Nucleic Acid

Cellular
Examples

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Multiple Choice

Imagine you're a tiny atom floating in space. You bump into two other atoms and form a water molecule. What atoms did you just become friends with?

• One atom of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen

• One atom of sodium and one atom of chlorine

• One atom of hydrogen and two atoms of oxygen

• Two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen

Multiple Choice

Pop quiz time! Can you tell me what we call a substance that has a pH of 6? Hint: It's not as neutral as water!

• Is it an acid?

• Could it be a base?

• Is it just plain water?

• Or is it a suspension?