1: BIOLOGICAL MOLECULES - MONOMERS AND POLYMERS

Question 1

What element do all biological molecules contain?

Answer 1

carbon

Question 2

What are the 4 types of biological molecule (+ what are examples of their uses)?

Answer 2

• carbohydrates
  - respiratory substances (eg: glucose)
  - cellulose (eg: in cell walls)
  - starch/glycogen for storage
• lipids
  - structural component in cell surface
  membrane
• proteins
  - enzymes
  - hormones
  - structural proteins
  - blood components
• nucleic acids
  - genetic info

Question 3

What are monomers?

Answer 3

small, basic units that repeat to form polymers

Question 4

What are polymers?

Answer 4

large, complex molecules made of long chains of repeating units (monomers)

Question 5

Why are lipids not polymers?

Answer 5

they’re made up of different components that don’t repeat

Question 5

What is a condensation reaction?

Answer 5

a reaction in which a chemical bond is formed between monomers and a molecule of water is released

Question 6

What is a hydrolysis reaction?

Answer 6

a reaction in which chemical bonds between monomers are broken using a water molecule