1: Biological Molecules Flashcards
What is a polymer?
Long chain of monomer sub-units
What is the transformation of a monomer to a polymer?
Polymerisation
What does the delta symbol mean?
Slightly
What is a dipolar molecule?
Means a molecule which has two different charged regions
Why is water dipolar?
As electrons are slightly closer to the oxygen
What are the charges on a water molecule?
Oxygen is slightly negative
Hydrogen atoms are slightly positive
What is a hydrogen bond?
Attraction between water molecules caused by attraction
How strong are hydrogen bonds?
Very weak
Many needed to make a difference
What is the general formula of monosaccharides?
(CH20)n
n= any number from 3-7
What are the features of monosaccharides?
Sweet
Small
Soluble
Crystals
What does the suffix -ose mean?
A sugar
Name some examples of monosaccharides
Glucose, galactose, and fructose
What are the two isomers of glucose?
Alpha and Beta Glucose
What is a hexose?
Sugars with 6 carbons
What is a steroisomer?
Different forms of the same isomers
What is the difference between alpha and beta glucose?
OH (hydroxide) on carbon 1 is downwards on the alpha glucose and vice versa on the beta glucose
What is the use of beta glucose?
Used in plant cells to create cellulose
What is the use of alpha glucose?
Used in animals to create glycogen
What are the features of disaccharides?
Small
Sweet
Soluble
Crystals
What is a disaccharide?
Two monosaccharides joined together
What reaction forms a disaccharides?
Condensation reaction
Creates a water molecule and glycosidic link
What is a glycosidic link?
Bond that is formed between two monosaccharides
a Glucose + a Glucose
Maltose
Glucose + Fructose
Sucrose
Glucose + Galactose
Lactose
Where is sucrose found?
Transported in plants
Where is lactose found?
Milk (lactose intolerance)
What reaction would split up a disaccharide and why?
Hydrolysis - as water is required to form both monosaccharides
What are the reducing sugars?
All monosaccharides and some disaccharides (maltose & lactose)
What is reduction?
Chemical reaction involving the gain of electrons
What is a reducing sugar?
Sugar that can donate electrons to another chemical
What chemical is used for the reducing sugar test?
Benedict’s Reagent (copper sulphate + alkaline solution)
What ions are relevant in the Benedict’s Reagent?
Copper 2+ ions
What happens to the Benedict’s Reagent in the reducing sugar experiment?
Forms an insoluble red precipitate (Cu2O)
if reducing sugar present
Give the step-by-step method of the test for reducing sugars
Add 2 cm2 of the sample to a test tube, and if not liquid grind it up in water
Add an equal volume of Benedict’s reagent
Heat the mixture in a gently boiling water bath for 5 minutes
Why is the colour of the reducing sugar test semi quantitative?
As it can be used to give a rough idea about the amount of sugar produced
What colours in the reducing sugar test show the most sugar present?
(most to least)
red, orange, yellow, green, blue
Name 2 ways to make the reducing sugar quantitative?
Colorimeter
Weighing dry mass of the precipitate
What is hydrolysis?
Addition of water that causes breakdown
Name a common non-reducing sugar
Disaccharides (Sucrose)
What is the non-reducing sugar test?
Breaking up disaccharides into monosaccharides (hydrolysis)
Then perform reducing sugar test
Give the step-by-step method of the test for non-reducing sugars
Perform reducing sugars test
If no colour change (blue), add 2 cm2 of fresh sample to 2cm2 of HCl and place in waterbath for 5 mins
Add NaHCO3 to solution until neutralised
Perform reducing sugar test on this sample
What is a positive result of a the non-reducing sugar test?
The solution will go orange-brown
Why is it necessary to add hydrochloric acid in the non-reducing sugar test?
Hydrolyses the disaccharide into both its constituent monosaccharides
Why is it necessary to add sodium hydrocarbonate in the non-reducing sugar test?
Neutralise the solution as Benedict’s doesn’t work in acidic conditions
What is a polysaccharide?
Polymers of many monosaccharide molecules joined by glycosidic bonds
What reaction forms polysaccharides?
Condensation reactions
What is the solubility of polysaccharides and why?
Insoluble as very large molecules
Therefore suitable for storage
What happens when polysaccharides are hydrolysed?
Breaks up into monosaccharides or disaccharides
What is the composition of starch?
Between 200 and 100 000 a-glucose molecules connected by glycosidic links
What is starch?
Polysaccharide used for energy storage
Found in starch grains in cytoplasm and chloroplasts
Can be branched and unbranched
What are the structures of starch?
Unbranched tight coil - very compact
Branched - quick hydrolysis
Why is starch suited for its role of energy storage?
Insoluble - doesn’t affect water potential
Large & insoluble - cannot diffuse out of a cell
Compact - can be stored in a small space
Made of a-glucose - easily transported & used in respiration
Branched form - many ends means enzymes can simultaneously release a-glucose
How easy is hydrolysis of starch?
Branched - Easy
Unbranched coils - Not as easy
What are two types of starch?
Amylose (unbranched)
Amylopectin (branched)
What are the digestive enzymes of starch?
Amylase
Maltase
What is the tensile strength of starch?
Low
What is the step-by-step test for starch?
2 cm2 of sample and add two drops of iodine
Shake or stir
Starch shown by solution going black-blue
Where is glycogen found?
Small granules in animals and bacteria, never in plants
Mainly in muscles and liver
What is the structure of glycogen?
Linear highly branched (shorter than starch)
What is the use of glycogen?
Carbohydrate storage in animals
Why is the mass of carbohydrate storage in animals small?
Fat is the main energy storage in animals
Why is the structure of glycogen suited to energy storage?
Insoluble - doesn’t affect water potential
Large & insoluble - cannot diffuse out of a cell
Compact - can be stored in a small space
More highly branched - many ends means enzymes can break it down faster
Why is highly branched glycogen useful?
Means glucose can be released faster for respiration
Important as animals with high metabolic & respiratory rate so its needed
What is the monomerof cellulose?
B-glucose
Every other molecule is flipped which allows the glycosidic link to form
What is the structure of cellulose?
Straight unbranched chains
They run parallel and form many hydrogen bonds