A student makes a Venn diagram to compare the functions of carbohydrates and lipids.

Question

Carbohydrates. Lipids.

Which cellular function of carbohydrates and lipids should be placed in the shared section of the Venn diagram?

Structural support of cell walls

Energy storage

Hormone production

Catalyst for chemical reactions

Answer 1

The shared section of the Venn diagram for carbohydrates and lipids should include Energy storage.

Both carbohydrates (e.g., glycogen and starch) and lipids (e.g., fats and oils) serve as energy storage molecules in organisms. The other functions listed are more specific to either carbohydrates or lipids individually:

• Structural support of cell walls is primarily a function of carbohydrates (like cellulose in plants).
• Hormone production is more associated with lipids, particularly steroid hormones.
• Catalyst for chemical reactions relates more to proteins (enzymes) rather than carbohydrates or lipids.