Alternative Assignment Flashcards
Lipids
a diverse group of chemicals that are classified together because they do not dissolve in water
Carbohydrates
polymers that consist of atoms of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
Proteins
polymers that consist of atoms of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, they are apart of almost all processes going on . inside your body
Nucleic Acids
polymers formed by linking together nucleotides
Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)
an important molecule that is used by cells for energy storage
Lipoproteins
any group of soluble proteins that combine with and transport fat or other lipids in the blood plasma.
Glycoproteins
proteins which contain oligosaccharide chains covalently attached to amino acid side-chains
Enzymes
a substance produced by a living organism which acts as a catalyst to bring about a specific biochemical reaction.
Complimentary base pairs (in DNA)
phenomenon where in DNA guanine always hydrogen bonds to cytosine and adenine always binds to thymine.
Double helix (in regards to DNA)
the appearance of double-stranded DNA, which is composed of two linear strands that run opposite to each other, or anti-parallel, and twist together
Nucleus
a membrane bound structure that consists most of the cell’s DNA located the center of a cell
Ribosome
a complex molecule that makes proteins and serves as the site of biological protein synthesis. Functioning ribosomes are found in two locations in the cell. Free ribosomes are simply suspended in the cytoplasm where they manufacture proteins that function within the cytoplasm while bound ribosomes are attached to the outside of the endoplasmic reticulum or the nuclear envelope
Smooth endoplasmic reticulum
a membranous organelle found in most eukaryotic cells found near the rough ER which is surrounding the nucleus and its function is to synthesize lipids and detoxifies molecules
Rough endoplasmic reticulum
an organelle found in eukaryotic cells surrounding the nucleus and its function is to modify proteins that will be shipped elsewhere in the organism
Golgi apparatus
a complex of vesicles and folded membranes within the cytoplasm of most eukaryotic cells which finishes, sorts, and ships cell products
Vacuole
membrane-bound sacs within the cytoplasm of a cell that stores nutrients, degrades waste products, provides pigments and structural support
Lysosome
membranous sacs found in the cytosol of the cytoplasm of an eukaryotic cell containing about 50 different digestive enzymes in acidic environment. They deliver digestive enzymes to food vacuoles, release the enzymes into the vacuoles where they break down the food into useable components and fuse with vesicles containing damaged cell parts that are then broken down for recycling
Chloroplast
the organelle in prokaryotic cells which photosynthesis takes place found …..
Cytoskeleton
a network of protein fibers extending throughout the cytoplasm which provides a base of support for structures that move the cell through its ecosystem
Plasmid (in prokaryotes)
small rings of double-stranded extra-chromosomal (“outside the chromosome”) DNA and carry a small number of non-essential genes and are copied independently of the chromosome inside the cell. They can be transferred to other prokaryotes in a population, sometimes spreading genes that are beneficial to survival. They are located in the cytoplasm
Carbon is at the center of organic molecules. Carbon can form both single carbon-carbon bonds and double carbon-carbon bonds. (a) What do double carbon-carbon bonds add to a
carbon skeleton?
a) the chains made up of C-C bonds form what are called carbon skeletons.
Carbon is at the center of organic molecules. Carbon can form both single carbon-carbon bonds and double carbon-carbon bonds. (b) Carbon skeletons come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Describe the different shapes that carbon skeletons can take.
b) straight, branched, ring-shaped, or any combination of the three
Lipids are not polymers. Lipids are essentially hydrocarbons. (a) How do lipids interact with
water?
a) they do not dissolve in water
Lipids are not polymers. Lipids are essentially hydrocarbons. (b) Describe the “dual personality” of a phospholipid.
b) a phospholipid is both hydrophobic tails and hydrophilic heads so therefore it has a duel personality
Lipids are not polymers. Lipids are essentially hydrocarbons. (c) Why are phospholipids the main constituent of a plasma membrane (aka phospholipid bilayer)?
c) the water-loving/water-hating aspect of the phospholipid bilayer it naturally forms a sphere so that the hydrophobic fatty acid tails are not exposed to water. This system forms a functional barrier between the inside and outside of the cell and allows the plasma membrane to serve its “gate keeping” function allowing only certain molecules into or out of the cell
Describe the anatomy of an amino acid. Include in your answer the significance of the variable group.
a) the anatomy of an amino acid is built up of three parts: the amino group, the carboxyl group, and the variable group b) the variable group is important because it determines an amino acid’s chemical properties
(a) Compare and contrast the structure of a DNA molecule vs. an RNA molecule.
a) a strand of DNA is famously in the shape of a double helix – like a twisted rope ladder, while a strand of RNA looks like one half of the DNA ladder with the sugar-phosphate group back bone making up the one rope and the nitrogenous base protruding perpendicular from the plane of the rope
(b) List the
names of the four RNA nucleotides.
b) adenine, Uracil, Guanine, and Cytosine
What are five key functions of the plasma membrane (aka cell membrane)?
- Surround and contain the cell
- Take in nutrients and dispose of waste
- Take in water and export biologically import molecules
- Take in O2 and get rid of CO2
- Propagate electrical signal down the length of nerve cells
