Bio 107 Macromolecules Flashcards
Hydrocarbons are the ……. of the cell?
Building blocks
Although cells are 70-95% water what other 4 compounds are they made up of?
Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen
Complex molecules built on carbon are called organic molecules or…?
Hydrocarbons
Macromolecules are?
Simple organic molecules combining, a major component of living cells
Polymers are?
Larger molecules consisting of many similar or identical building blocks linked by covalent bonds
The four classes of macromolecules are?
Lipids, carbohydrates, proteins and nucleic acids
All macromolecules are formed using the same mechanism which is?
Dehydration and hydrolysis reactions
What is hydrolysis
Adds a water molecule breaking a bond
Dehydration is?
Removes a water molecule forming a new bond
Diverse groups of hydrophobic molecules because they consist mostly of carbon and hydrogen connected by non polar covalent bonds
Lipids
The most biologically important lipids are?
Fats
Phospholipids
Steroids
Fats or triacylgycerols are?
Molecules used to store energy in a variety of organisms
How fats/ TAGS constructed
1 glycerol and 3 fatty acids strung together through dehydration synthesis.
Difference between saturated fats and unsaturated fats
Saturated fats have single bonds and will be solid at room temp. And their common name is “fat”
Unsaturated fats have double bonds and will be liquid at room temperature and their common name is oil.
What are phospholipids similar to
they are similar to TAGs but one of the fatty acids is replaced with polar phosphate group.
What is hydrophilic?
Water loving
Phospholipids are amphipathic which means?
Phosphate head is hydrophilic and the fatty acid tails are hydrophobic
Phospholipids form?
Membranes
Molecules that have a specific arrangement of carbon rings?
Steroids
Steroids include?
Sex hormones, cholesterol, cortisone
Carbohydrates are also called?
Sugars or saccharides.
Carbohydrates are characterized by?
Having multiple alcohol groups (C-OH) and carbonyl groups (C=O)
A single monomer is?
Monosaccharide (3-7 carbons)
Carbohydrate polymers are?
Disaccharides, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides
Glycosidic linkage is?
Monosaccharides joined together by dehydration synthesis
Used to provide structure, and as an energy storage molecule
Polysaccharides
Starch
Common energy storage molecule in plants
Glycogen
Used for energy storage in animals
Cellulose
Very tough and useful for cell walls in plants; cellulose is tough to break down for animals
Chitin
Similar to cellulose but contain nitrogen, used in fungi and animals
Peptidoglycan
Used in the cell wall of bacteria
Protein functions include?
Structural support, storage, transport, cellular communications, movement, and defence against foreign substances
Proteins are polymers of?
Amino acids
Each amino acid has an?
Amino group (NH2), a carboxyl group (COOH) and a unique side chain giving the amino acid a distinct chemical property
Amino acids form what by what?
Polypeptides, dehydration synthesis
Where are the polypeptides manufactured and what do they do to form proteins?
Ribosome, fold
What are the 4 levels of protein structure? And explain what each one does
Primary: the unique sequence of amino acids joined by peptide bonds. Single alterations in sequence can have large effects
Secondary: hydrogen bonds causes sections to coil (a-helix) or stack (b-sheet)
Tertiary: the “fold” of the protein.
Quaternary: several polypeptides combine together to form a functional macromolecule
Protein desaturation:
Chemical agents or changes in PH, temperature, or salt concentration may cause this complex structure to unravel. The protein is said the denature
What are nucleic acids made of?
Nucleotides
What are nucleotides are made of?
Nitrogenous base, pentose sugar, phosphate group
….. and …… are nucleic acids responsible for storing and transmitting genetic information
DNA and RNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
Genetic material (the blueprints for making proteins)
Ribonucleic acid (RNA)
Transmits information
ATP (adenosine triphosphate) or GTP (guanosine triphosphate) do what?
Provide energy to drive the cellular process such as muscle contractions, nerve impulse, propagation and chemical synthesis
