CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS

WITH BIOLOGICAL ACTION

Cellulose
Cellulose is the main
substance found in plant cell
walls and helps the plant to
remain stiff and strong.

Humans cannot digest

cellulose, but it is important
in the diet as a source of
fibre.

Cellulose is used to make

clothes and paper.
How is cellulose useful?
• Cellulose is a molecule, consisting of hundreds – and sometimes even
thousands – of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Cellulose is the main
substance in the walls of plant cells, helping plants to remain stiff and
upright.
• Humans cannot digest cellulose, but it is important in the diet as fibre. Fibre
assists your digestive system – keeping food moving through the gut and
pushing waste out of the body.
• Animals, such as cows, sheep and horses, can digest cellulose, which is why
they can get the energy and nutrients they need from grass.
• Cellulose has many uses. In cotton, it makes clothes like t-shirts and jeans.
Paper-making needs huge quantities of cellulose, obtained mainly from
wood.
Glucose
Glucose is key to keeping the mechanisms of the body in top working order.
When our glucose levels are optimal, it often goes unnoticed. But when they
stray from recommended boundaries, you’ll notice the unhealthy effect it has
on normal functioning. So what is glucose, exactly? It’s the simplest of the
carbohydrates, making it a monosaccharide. This means it has one sugar. It’s
not alone. Other monosaccharides include fructose, galactose, and ribose.
Along with fat, glucose is one of the body’s preferred sources of fuel in the
form of carbohydrates. People get glucose from bread, fruits, vegetables, and
dairy products. You need food to create the energy that helps keep you alive.
While glucose is important, like with so many things, it’s best in moderation.
Glucose levels that are unhealthy or out of control can have permanent and
serious effects.
How does the body process glucose?
• Our body processes glucose multiple times a day, ideally.
• When we eat, our body immediately starts working to process glucose. Enzymes start the
breakdown process with help from the pancreas. The pancreas, which produces hormones
including insulin, is an integral part of how our body deals with glucose. When we eat, our body
tips the pancreas off that it needs to release insulin to deal with the rising blood sugar level.
• Some people, however, can’t rely on their pancreas to jump in and do the work it’s supposed to do.
• One way diabetes occurs is when the pancreas doesn’t produce insulin in the way it should. In this
case, people need outside help (insulin injections) to process and regulate glucose in the body.
Another cause of diabetes is insulin resistance, where the liver doesn’t recognize insulin that’s in
the body and continues to make inappropriate amounts of glucose. The liver is an important organ
for sugar control, as it helps with glucose storage and makes glucose when necessary.
• If the body doesn’t produce enough insulin, it can result in the release of free fatty acids from fat
stores. This can lead to a condition called ketoacidosis. Ketones, waste products created when the
liver breaks down fat, can be toxic in large quantities. Maintaining glucose levels near the normal
range is an important part of keeping your body running effectively and healthily.
Starch
• Starch, a white, granular, organic chemical that is produced by all green plants.
Starch is a soft, white, tasteless powder that is insoluble in cold water, alcohol, or
other solvents. The basic chemical formula of the starch molecule is (C6H10O5)n.
Starch is a polysaccharide comprising glucose monomers joined in α 1,4 linkages.
The simplest form of starch is the linear polymer amylose; amylopectin is the
branched form.
• Starch is manufactured in the green leaves of plants from excess glucose
produced during photosynthesis and serves the plant as a reserve food supply.
Starch is stored in chloroplasts in the form of granules and in such organs as the
roots of the tapioca plant; the tuber of the potato; the stem pith of sago; and the
seeds of corn, wheat, and rice. When required, starch is broken down, in the
presence of certain enzymes and water, into its constituent monomer glucose
units, which diffuse from the cell to nourish the plant tissues. In humans and
other animals, starch is broken down into its constituent sugar molecules, which
then supply energy to the tissues.
Sucrose
Sucrose, or table sugar, organic compound, colourless sweet-tasting
crystals that dissolve in water. Sucrose (C12H22O11) is a disaccharide;
hydrolysis, by the enzyme invertase, yields “invert sugar” (so called
because the hydrolysis results in an inversion of the rotation of plane
polarized light), a 50:50 mixture of fructose and glucose, its two
constituent monosaccharides. Sucrose occurs naturally in sugarcane,
sugar beets, sugar maple sap, dates, and honey. It is produced
commercially in large amounts (especially from sugarcane and sugar
beets) and is used almost entirely as food.