1.1 introduction to biological molecules Flashcards
What are biological molecules?
particular groups of chemicals that are found in living organisms
What is the study of biological molecules called?
molecular biology
What are molecules made up of?
units called atoms
What are different types of bonding?
covalent bonding
ionic bonding
hydrogen bonding
What is colvalent bonding?
atoms share a pair of electrons in their outer shells
as a result the outer shell of both atoms is filled to create a more stable compound called a molecule
What is ionic bonding?
ions with opposite charges attract each other
the electrostatic attraction is known as an ionic bond
it is weaker than a covalent bond
What is hydrogen bonding?
electrons in molecules are not evenly distributed, some regions are more negatively charged (polar molecule)
opposite regions of 2 polarised molecules attract each other, creating a weak electrostatic bond
What is a polar molecule?
a molecule with an uneven distribution of charge
What is a polymer?
long chain of monomer sub units
What is the process called of forming polymers?
polymerisation
what are some examples of industrially produced polymers?
polythene
polyester
what are monomers of a polymer usually?
carbon based
what are some examples of polymers made naturally by living organisms?
polysaccharides, polypeptides, polynucleotides
what is the basic sub unit of a polysaccharide?
monosaccharide/single sugar
e.g. glucose
what are polynucleotides formed from?
mononucleotide sub units
what are polypeptides formed from?
formed by linking together peptides that have amio acids as their basic sub units
what is a condensation reaction?
in the formation of polymers by polymerisation in organisms, each time a new sub unit is attached a molecule of water is formed
what are examples of condensation reactions?
polypeptide from amino acids
starch (polysaccharide) from glucose (monosaccharide)
what is a hydrolysis reaction?
water molecules are used when breaking bonds that link polymer sub units and split molecule
what does hydrolysis the word mean
hydro= water lysis= splitting
what is metabolism?
all the chemical processes that take place in living organisms are collectively called metabolism
what is THE mole?
the SI unit for measuring the amount of a substance
what can mole be abbreviated to?
mol
what is ONE mole
one mole contains the same number of particles as there are in 12g of carbon-12 atoms
12g carbon-12 atoms contain 6.022x10^23 carbon atoms (Avogadro constant)
