2.1.2 Biological Molecules Flashcards
From original set - Not Checked
Why do cells need water?
Makes up 80% of the cell content:
A reagent of hydrolysis
A solvent
For Transport
For temperature Control
Providing a habitat
What is the structure of water?
One Oxygen - two hydrogens
Oxygen and hydrogen share a negitive electron from hydrogen. The pull of electrons is slightly greater towards the oxygen atom.
Hydrogen has a slightly positive charge - forming a polar molecule
How do water molecules bond together?
slightly negitive oxygen attracts the slightly positive hydrogen from another molecule - forming a hydrogen bond
What properties does water have?
Polar solvent
High specific heat capacity
surface tension
incomprecability
less dence when solid
Why is water a solvent?
As water is polar lots of substances can dissolve in water
Why is water important as a solvent?
It is a usefull transport medium. Water has the ability to ionise molecules.
Polar molecules disolve in water.
Non-polar molecules do not.
What does a high specific heat capacity mean?
Lots of energy is needed to increase the temperature of water.
Lots of energy needs to be lost in order to reduce the temperature of the water.
What is the specific heat capacity of water?
4.2j/g/c
Why is the SHC of water important?
Acts as a buffer against rapid temperature change.
-it absorbs sun energy during the day and retains it at night.
-it acts as a habitat as the constant temperatures of the water allow organisms to survive
What is cohesion and surface tension?
Water molecules ‘sticking together’ due to hydrogen bonds.
Water molecules also stick to ther molecules - cohesion
the strong inwards cohesion force creates surface tension.
What advantage does cohesion and surface tension of water bring?
allows the surface of water to act as a habitat for small organisms - like pond skimmers
What is the importance of the dencity of water?
Ice is less dence than liquid water so floats on it.
This allows it to act as a habitat for animals to live on top of. It also insulates the water below to provide a habitat for aquatic creatures in sub-zero temperatures
Why is ice less dence than water?
Particals have less kinnetic energy at lower temperatures so move slower. meaning more hydrogen bonds form and due to a long bond length spreading the molecules out - decreacing the density
What is important about waters latent heat of vapourisation?
Water requires a lot of energy to evaporate.
This allows it to be used as a cooling agent for animals - sweating and panting - and plants - transpiration.
lots of energy is transfered to the water from the organism to cause it to evaporate - cooling it down.
Why is water important for metabilic reactions?
Water is a reactant in many reactions.
e.g. hydrollysis and photosynthesis.
It is also a product in many reactions.
e.g. condensation reactions and aerobic respiration
What is the general formula for carbohydrates?
CnH2nOn
What are the 3 main categories of carbohydrates?
Monosaccharides
Disaccharides
Polysaccharides
What are examples of monosaccarides?
Glucose - Fructose - Galactose
What are examples of Disaccarides?
Maltose, sucrose, lactose, cellobiose
What monosaccharides make up maltose?
Two molecules of a-glucose
What monosaccharides make up sucrose?
a-glucose and Fructose
What monosaccharides make up lactose?
b-galactose and a-glucose
What monosaccharides make up cellobiose?
b-glucose and b-glucose
What type of reaction joins monosaccarides?
Condensation (using water)
What type of reaction breaks down monosaccharides?
Hydrolysis (needing water)
What are examples of polysaccharides?
Glycogen - amylopectin - amylase
What are the features of monosaccarides?
Simple sugars
sweet tasting
source of energy
disolve easiy in water
can be streight chains or rings
What are triose sugars?
A monosaccharide with 3 carbons. General formula C3H6O3
What are examples of triose sugars?
Ketose, aldehyde
What is a pentose sugar?
A monosaccharide with 5 carbons. General formula - C5H10O5
What are examples of pentose sugars?
Ribose, Deoxyribose
Whats the difference between ribose and deoxyribose?
OH on carbon 2 or just H.
Deoxyribose only has H on carbon 2 - not OH
Ribose Structure
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Deoxyribose Structure
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What are hexose sugars?
monosaccharides with 6 carbons. General formula C6H12O6
Whats the difference between Alpha and Beta Glucose?
The position of the OH group on carbon one.
ABBA - Alpha Below - Beta Above
Alpha Glucose Structure
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Beta Glucose Structure
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What is an isomer?
Two or more compounds that have the same formula but different structure
What are the roles of monosaccharides?
Energy source for respiration - C-H bonds are easily oxidised to yeald lots of energy.
Form building blocks for larger molecules.
What is fructose?
The main sugar in fruits and vegetables
How many carbons does fructose have?
6 carbons - hexose sugar
What is Galactose?
Beta Glucose but the OH on Carbon 4 is above the H instead of below.
What is a glycosidic bond?
When the hydroxil (OH) group of one carbohydrate bonds with the hydrogen of another hydroxil group to form water - a condensation reaction.
Why is glucose not good for storage?
It is reactive and soluble
How is glucose stored in plants?
As starch
How is glucose stored in animals?
As glycogen
What are the types of starch?
Amylose and amylopectin
details about amylose
makes up aprox 20% of starch
made of 200-500 units
contains 1,4 glycosidic bonds
details about amylopectin
makes up 80% of starch
made of 5,000 - 100,000 units
contains both 1,4 and 1,6 glycosidic bonds
What is the structure of amylose?
1,4 glycosidic bonds between Alpha glucose molecules.
It is spiraled due to the hydrogen bonds.
It is not branced.
What is the structure of amylopectin?
1,4 and 1,6 glycosidic bonds between alpha glucose molecules.
it has long brances and is only slightly spiraled.
Hydrogen bonds hold the structure together.
What is the structure of glycogen?
1,4 and a few (9%) 1,6 glycocidic bonds giving it some short branches and a small amount of sopiraling.
The structure is held by hydrogen bonds