Unit 10: Biological molecules and metabolic pathways
Unit 10A: Understand the structure and function of biological molecules and their
importance in biochemical processes
Vocational Scenario:
I am a trainee technician that has been working in a biochemistry lab for six months. Before moving
onto the next phase of my technician training in another type of lab, my supervisor has asked me to
assist the new trainee biochemistry technician who will be carrying out the same placement that I
have just completed. I will need to demonstrate an understanding of biochemical processes and the
effects of disrupting these, as well as include models of the relevant biological molecules that will
enable me to show the structure and function of these in living organisms to the new trainee.
Water:
Water also known in its chemical formula H2o is one of the most important substances to ever exist.
Water is an essential for human survival as we need to drink it, so we do not get dehydrated and so
our body doesn’t start to shut down. Water is quite a simple looking molecule but there are so many
features and characteristics that I will be exploring in this report.
Structure of water and in plants:
Water is composed from an oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms. Water is a covalent bond. A
covalent bond is when electrons are shared in a pair between atoms to form a full outer shell.
Water is a covalent bond due to the two hydrogen atoms each sharing an electron with the oxygen
atom as oxygen has 6 electrons and needs 2 more to form a full outer shell and one hydrogen atom
only has 1 electron so they all share electrons to form a full outer shell.
Image reference: https://byjus.com/question-answer/is-water-ionic-or-covalent/
Water is also polar. In the simplest terms, polar suggests there is an opposite charge between the
two atoms, but more specifically, it means that there are both partial negative and partial positive
charges present. Due to the lack of any partial charges, non-polar means the same charge. Water is
polar due to there being a negative charge on the oxygen and the positive charges on the hydrogen
atoms this happens because the electrons are not distributed evenly and leads to the oxygen pulling
away the negative electrons away from the hydrogen atoms and causing the slightly positive partial
charge on the hydrogens and slightly partial charges on the oxygen.
, Image reference: Classoos Book 1 Page 398
Water is important in plants as it’s needed for plant survival as well as growth. It is also used in one
of the main chemical reactions of plant which is photosynthesis this is shown in the word equation
of photosynthesis which is 6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2. As well as being used in photosynthesis
water helps the growth of the plant by moving around nutrients and minerals as well as glucose as it
dissolves all these substances and assists in the movement of them. In plants water is found in a few
places such as in the leaf of the plants and the cell wall. In the leaf it aids with photosynthesis which
is necessary as it’s the plants energy and food being produced; it produces continuous force in the
cell wall which is called turgor this helps with keeping the plants upright and strong.
Function of water:
There are multiple functions of water, water aids with producing urine and this is essential because
urine gets rid of extra waste products and sends it to the kindey, water also helps with digestion as it
helps to break down the food that's being eaten as well as taking care of dehydration. Dehydration
can harm multiple areas in your body as well as slowing them down.
Bonding of water:
In water there is an obvious covalent bond which has previously been mentioned before as well as
hydrogen bonding present. Hydrogen bonding is a type of intermolecular force it is also a dipole-
dipole attraction. It’s dipole-dipole because there are opposite charges on each side of the water
molecule, and this has as already been explained in relation to polarity. The oxygen is negative, and
the hydrogen is positive
Importance of water:
Act as a transport of molecules:
Water is great transporter of molecules, I have mentioned above some ways that water transports
molecules in plants as it transports glucose, nutrients and minerals. Water is able to do this as it acts
like a solvent in biochemical reactions. A substance is referred to as a solvent if it has the ability to
dissolve other compounds to produce a solution. So, this means that during the reaction any
molecule that is also polar will just dissolve in the water and make a solution, the molecule will be
known as a solute from now on due to it being dissolved in a solution. The reason why the solute is
Unit 10A: Understand the structure and function of biological molecules and their
importance in biochemical processes
Vocational Scenario:
I am a trainee technician that has been working in a biochemistry lab for six months. Before moving
onto the next phase of my technician training in another type of lab, my supervisor has asked me to
assist the new trainee biochemistry technician who will be carrying out the same placement that I
have just completed. I will need to demonstrate an understanding of biochemical processes and the
effects of disrupting these, as well as include models of the relevant biological molecules that will
enable me to show the structure and function of these in living organisms to the new trainee.
Water:
Water also known in its chemical formula H2o is one of the most important substances to ever exist.
Water is an essential for human survival as we need to drink it, so we do not get dehydrated and so
our body doesn’t start to shut down. Water is quite a simple looking molecule but there are so many
features and characteristics that I will be exploring in this report.
Structure of water and in plants:
Water is composed from an oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms. Water is a covalent bond. A
covalent bond is when electrons are shared in a pair between atoms to form a full outer shell.
Water is a covalent bond due to the two hydrogen atoms each sharing an electron with the oxygen
atom as oxygen has 6 electrons and needs 2 more to form a full outer shell and one hydrogen atom
only has 1 electron so they all share electrons to form a full outer shell.
Image reference: https://byjus.com/question-answer/is-water-ionic-or-covalent/
Water is also polar. In the simplest terms, polar suggests there is an opposite charge between the
two atoms, but more specifically, it means that there are both partial negative and partial positive
charges present. Due to the lack of any partial charges, non-polar means the same charge. Water is
polar due to there being a negative charge on the oxygen and the positive charges on the hydrogen
atoms this happens because the electrons are not distributed evenly and leads to the oxygen pulling
away the negative electrons away from the hydrogen atoms and causing the slightly positive partial
charge on the hydrogens and slightly partial charges on the oxygen.
, Image reference: Classoos Book 1 Page 398
Water is important in plants as it’s needed for plant survival as well as growth. It is also used in one
of the main chemical reactions of plant which is photosynthesis this is shown in the word equation
of photosynthesis which is 6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2. As well as being used in photosynthesis
water helps the growth of the plant by moving around nutrients and minerals as well as glucose as it
dissolves all these substances and assists in the movement of them. In plants water is found in a few
places such as in the leaf of the plants and the cell wall. In the leaf it aids with photosynthesis which
is necessary as it’s the plants energy and food being produced; it produces continuous force in the
cell wall which is called turgor this helps with keeping the plants upright and strong.
Function of water:
There are multiple functions of water, water aids with producing urine and this is essential because
urine gets rid of extra waste products and sends it to the kindey, water also helps with digestion as it
helps to break down the food that's being eaten as well as taking care of dehydration. Dehydration
can harm multiple areas in your body as well as slowing them down.
Bonding of water:
In water there is an obvious covalent bond which has previously been mentioned before as well as
hydrogen bonding present. Hydrogen bonding is a type of intermolecular force it is also a dipole-
dipole attraction. It’s dipole-dipole because there are opposite charges on each side of the water
molecule, and this has as already been explained in relation to polarity. The oxygen is negative, and
the hydrogen is positive
Importance of water:
Act as a transport of molecules:
Water is great transporter of molecules, I have mentioned above some ways that water transports
molecules in plants as it transports glucose, nutrients and minerals. Water is able to do this as it acts
like a solvent in biochemical reactions. A substance is referred to as a solvent if it has the ability to
dissolve other compounds to produce a solution. So, this means that during the reaction any
molecule that is also polar will just dissolve in the water and make a solution, the molecule will be
known as a solute from now on due to it being dissolved in a solution. The reason why the solute is
