BIOL130L : BIOL_130L_Study_Notes.doc
Document Summary
Use different tests to check for the existence of macromolecules in various substances o o o. The most abundant elements in living material are: There are 4 major types of biological macromolecules: Polysaccharides (i. e. starch, glycogen: monosaccharides (i. e. glucose, fructose) It is a polysaccharide used by plants to store glucose. It is a mixture of 2 different polymers: amylose and amylopectin. The glucose is joined by alpha 1 -> 4 linkages. It is a polysaccharide used by animals to store glucose. It is similar to amylopectin in overall structure, but is more highly branched. It turns blue-black in the presence of starch because of the amylose. It turns red-brown in the presence of glycogen because of the multi-branched components. All sugars can exist as straight chains or in ring form. Blue cupric ions (cu++) in benedict"s solution are reduced to cuprous ions (cu+) by the free aldehyde groups, and we get a precipitate of cuprous oxide (cu2o):
