4.1 Biological Molecules Flashcards
What elements are carbohydrate made of?
Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen
What are the 3 types of carbohydrates?
- Simple Sugars (1 sugar molecules)
- Complex Sugars (2 sugar molecules)
- Polysaccharides (Many sugar molecules)
What are the 3 types of simple sugars?
Glucose, fructose, and galactose
What is a simple sugar’s function?
To release quick energy
What foods are simple sugars found in?
Fruit, juices, and sugars
What are the 3 types of complex sugars?
- Sucrose (Glucose & Fructose)
- Maltose (Glucose & Glucose)
- Lactose ( Glucose & Galactose
What is a complex sugar’s function?
To release quick energy or store energy temporarily
What foods are complex sugars found in?
Dairy products and fruit juices
What are the 3 types of Polysaccharides?
- Starch (Plant energy storage)
- Glycogen (Human energy storage)
- Cellulose (Makes up cell wall in plant cell)
What foods are Polysaccharides found in?
Fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, pasta, and rice
What elements are lipids made up of?
Carbon, Hydrogen, and oxygen
What are the subunits that make up a lipid?
Fatty acids and glycerol
What makes a lipid either a fat or an oil?
The type of fatty acids
What type of fatty acids make up a fat?
Saturated fatty acids
What type of fatty acids make up an oil?
Unsaturated fatty acids
What is the difference between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids?
Saturated fatty acids contain single bonds with carbon and hydrogen (C-H). Unsaturated fatty acids contain double bonds between two carbons (C=C)
Why do unsaturated fatty acids contain double bonds between two carbons?
There is not enough hydrogen atoms
What happens to the structure of an oil due to the double carbon bonds of the oil’s unsaturated fatty acids?
It causes a bend in the fatty acids
Where are saturated fatty acids found?
In animal cells
Where are unsaturated fatty acids found?
In plant cells
What is the main function of lipids?
Provides energy and the raw materials for growth
What are some side functions that lipids have in our bodies?
Possible answers:
- To store energy
- To insulate as fat deposits under the skin
- To build cell membranes
- To make hormones
- For buoyancy
What deficiency disease can occur from a lack of lipids?
Marasmus
What elements make up Proteins?
Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen and Nitrogen
Describe the structure of proteins
The basic units are amino acids, 2 of them make a dipeptide, and many of them make a polypeptide. A protein is either one polypeptide chain or many
What foods can lipids be found in?
Margaine oils, cooking oils, fish oils, omega oils, red meat, and dairy products
What are good protein food sources?
Red meat, eggs, fish, chicken, beans, peas, milk, and cheese
What is a deficiency disease caused by a lack of protein?
Kwashiorkor
What is the protein’s functions in our bodies?
- Growth & tissue repair
- Hormones
- Protein carriers
- Haemoglobin
- Antibodies
- Muscle cells, hair, and nails
- Respiration energy when low amount of carbohydrates is present
Why are saturated fats considered unhealthy?
They may contain cholesterol, a sticky fat that overtime, can block arteries
What should we use to test for reducing sugars?
Benedict’s reagent
When using Benedict’s reagent, what is a negative result for testing for reducing sugars?
Remains dark blue
When using Benedict’s reagent, what is a positive result for testing for reducing sugars?
Turns from blue to green to yellow/orange to brick red precipitate
Is heat required for a Benedict’s reagent test? If so, how should it be heated?
Heat is required, and I must be heated using a water bath, this is because it is very reactive, and could spit or even explode if heated directly
What is the emulsion test?
The test for the presence of fat
What would we need other than the sample for the emulsion test?
Ethanol & distilled water
When carrying out the emulsion test, what would indicate a negative result?
If the solution stays colourless
When carrying out the emulsion test, what would indicate a positive result?
If the solution turns milky-white
What are we testing for when we use Biurets?
Protein
What would be a negative result for the Biuret’s test?
Remains light blue
What would be a positive result for the Biuret’s test?
Turns mauve, purple, or lilac
What does the intensity or the darkness of the positive result of the Biuret’s test tell us about the amount of protein
The more intense/dark the purple/mauve/lilac colour is, the more protein is present
What do we use to test for vitamin C?
DCPIP
What is the negative result for the vitamin C test?
Remains very dark blue
What is the positive result for the vitamin C test?
Turns pink
What is the function of DNA?
It is the universal genetic code of life
What does DNA code for?
Proteins/Polypeptides
Describe the structure of DNA and how it works
It is a double helix, (2 strands coiled together), which are held together by hydrogen bonds between complementary bases. There are 4 types of bases, A, T, C, and G. A is complimentary with T, and C is complementary with G, and vice versa. The bases are attached to sugar-phosphate backbones. The base and the backbone together form a nucleotide, which contains a phosphate, a sugar, and a base all attached together
What is a chromosome?
A package of DNA wrapped around proteins during cell division
What is a gene?
A certain length or part of DNA that codes for a specific characteristic/protein
