Biology Notes 03/10/2026

Carbohydrates

Biological molecules that include sugars and polymers of sugars.

Lipids

Large biological molecules that are hydrophobic and insoluble in water.

Proteins

Polymers made up of amino acids that perform various functions in living organisms.

Nucleic Acids

Polymers that store and transmit genetic information.

Macromolecules

Large molecules formed from thousands of covalently connected atoms.

Polymer

A long chain-like molecule consisting of many similar building blocks, known as monomers.

Condensation Reaction

A reaction in which two monomers bond together through the loss of a water molecule.

Hydrolysis

A chemical process that disassembles polymers into monomers by adding a water molecule.

Monosaccharides

Single sugars that serve as the building blocks for carbohydrates.

Disaccharide

A carbohydrate composed of two monosaccharides joined by a glycosidic linkage.

Glycosidic Linkage

A covalent bond formed between two monosaccharides by a dehydration reaction.

Lactose Intolerance

A condition where individuals lack lactase, the enzyme required to break down lactose.

Polysaccharides

Carbohydrates that consist of hundreds to thousands of monosaccharides linked together.

Cellulose

A polysaccharide that forms the structural component of the cell wall in plants, insoluble in human digestive tract.

Chitin

A structural polysaccharide found in the exoskeleton of arthropods and the cell walls of fungi.

Glucose

The most common monosaccharide, with molecular formula C6H12O6.

Disaccharides must be broken down into monosaccharides

For organisms to use them for energy.

Aqueous solutions

Solutions where water is the solvent, in which glucose and other sugars tend to form rings.

Enzymes that digest starch

They can hydrolyze linkages but cannot break down beta linkages in cellulose.