Bio Molecules Flashcards
What are bio molecules
Chemical compounds found in living organisms
What atoms are common in bio molecules
Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sometimes phosphorus and sulfur
What is a single biomolecule unit called
A monomer
What is the term for many monomers joined together
A polymer
What process allows monomers to join
Dehydration synthesis
What process lets polymers split
Hydrolysis
What are the four types of bio molecules
Carbohydrates
Lipids
Proteins
Nucleic acids
What allows carbon to be the key element in bio molecules
It has the ability to form 4 covalent bonds
What are carbon chains
Long connections of carbon molecules that vary in length, branching, double bond position, and presence of rings
What are hydrocarbons
Molecules that contain only C and H atoms, release list of energy when they undergo reactions
What are functional groups
The components of organic molecules that are most commonly involved in chem rxns
What are carbohydrates
Sugars and polymers of sugar; serves as a fuel and building material: usually end in ose
What are monosaccharides
One sugar molecule, the building block of carbohydrates. Typically a ring. Ex glucose
What is the ration of elements in carbohydrates
1 C 2 H 1 0
What are disaccarides
Two sugars, ex maltose, sucrose, lactose
What are polysaccharides
Polymers of hundred to thousands of linked monosaccharides. Can be linear or branched, shape affects fonction
What are two structural carbohydrates
Cellulose - unbranched molecule that is the main part of plant cell walls (oxygen linked he is alternating in sugars)
Chitin - similar to cellulose, has a nitrogen appendage. Main component in exoskeletons and fungi cell walls
What are two example of carbohydrates for storage
Glycogen - many branched chains. Used to store energy in animal cells, found in liver and muscle cells
Starch - some branched chains, molecule used in energy storage in plant cells
What are modified carbs
Glycolipids or glycoproteins. Act like cell ID or finger prints for cell to cell interactions
What are lipids
Fats, phospholipids, steroids
What are the common themes of lipids
Hydrophobic
Non-polar
Covalent bonds
What is unique of lipids
The only biomolecule that doesn’t have “true” monomers but have glycerol + fatty acids
What are fats
Made of triglycerides (neutral fats)
1 glycerol + 3 fatty acids
Have an ester linkage
What are saturated fats
Have no double bonds between carbons and so are saturated with hydrogen
Animal fats
What are unsaturated fats
Have at least one double bond between carbons
Plant fats
What are steroids
Signalling molecules
4 fused rings
Ex cholesterol a precursor to other steroids like estrogen and testosterone
What are phospholipids
Lipids with a hydrophilic head and 2 hydrophobic tails
Main component of cell membranes
What does amphipathic mean
Molecule with a polar and non polar region
What are the parts of a phospholipid
A polar end made of a phosphate group and glycerol
A non polar end of 2 fatty acids
What are the three main types of protein
Structural - elastin, collagen, cartilage+bone
Movement in muscles - actin + myosin
Metabolic functions
What are the different roles proteins play for metabolic functions
Enzymes - organic catalysts that speed up reactions
Antibodies - proteins of the immune system
Transport - hemoglobin transports 02 in blood, channels in cell membranes
Hormones - chemical signals produced in one part of the body that controls the activity in other parts
What are amino acids
The monomers of proteins, composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sometimes sulphur
What are the three parts of an amino acid
An amino/amine group -NH3
An acid group -COOH (carboxyl group)
R group: differs based on amino acid 20 r groups = 20 amino acids
What joins amino acids
A peptide (polar covalent bond) via dehydration synthesis
Between one amino group and one acid group
What is a dipeptide
2 amino acids joined by a peptide bond
What is a polypeptide
A short chain of 3-20 amino acids joined together
What are full proteins
Long chains of amino acids 75 or more long
Twisted and folded in a specific conformation
Described with 4 levels of organization
What is the first level of protein organization
Primary structure 1
The sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain
Held together by covalent peptide bonds
What is the second level of protein organization
Secondary structure 2
Polypeptides coil into an alpha helix or line up into beta pleated sheets
Created by H bonds between neighbouring NH and CO groups in neighbouring amino acids and peptide bonds
What is the 3rd level of protein organization
Tertiary structure 3
The overall 3D structure assumed by the peptide chain
Secondary structure folds up due to -disulphides bonds between cystine amino acids
-h bonds between R groups
-hydrophobic interactions from non-polar Amino acids
3D globular shape
What is the final level of protein organization
Quaternary structure 4
Arrangement of 2+ polypeptide chains in down proteins
Held together by H bonds, peptide bonds, disulphide bridges, and R group interactions. No new bonds
What is denaturation
The loss of 3D structure of a protein, caused by a disruption to the bonding of its 3D structure, makes the protein non-function
What 3 things can cause dénaturations
Changes in pH
High temperatures
Exposure to heavy metals like act Hg Pb etc
What do nucleic acids do
Transmit hereditary information, control cellular activity, and determine what proteins a cell manufactures
What are nucleotide, what do they consist of
Building blocks of proteins
Made of :
- a five carbon sugar: ribose in RNA deoxyribose in DNA
- a phosphate group
- a nitrogenous base (single or double ringed)
What nitrogenous bases are present in RNA and DNA
Adenine, guanine, and Cytosine, are present in both
DNA has thymine
RNA has uracil
How do nucleotides typically join
The phosphate of one connects to the the sugar of another, while the bases go off the one end
What is DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid
A major component in chromosomes
Found in the nucleus
What is the structure of DNA
Double strand of nucleotides twisted into a double helix
Backbone strands consisting of alternating sugar-phosphates, bases point inwards
Two strands held together by h bonds between bases
A-T
C-G
What is RNA
Ribonucleic acid
Used in protein synthesis
Can be found in nucleus and cytoplasm
Consists of a single strand of nucleotides
3 types: mRNA, rRNA, tRNA
Uracil replaces thymine as base
What is ATP
Adenosine triphosphate
Specialized nucleotide
Energy carrier for cell
Consists of adenine base, ribose sugar, and three phosphates
Releases energy when last phosphate is removed
What is a double ring base, single ring base, called
Purine = double ring = A + G
Pyrimidine = single ring = C + T + U
