bio test unit 1 biochemistry Flashcards
elements for foundation for living things
Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur
Isotopes
- Isotopes are atoms of the same element that differ in the number of their neutrons
- Electrons remain the same outside the nucleus, only the atomic mass of the atom changes.
-Radioisotopes: Isotopes can become unstable, which means that their nucleus decays by emitting radiation in the form of subatomic particles or electromagnetic waves. - Isotopes are commonly used in medical diagnostics called isotope tracing where doctors inject radioactive material into a patient and trace its movement in the body
- Cancerous tissues in the body are characterized by a much higher level of activity than healthy tissue. They tend to consume more glucose because they have rapid uncontrolled cell division.
- Thus, injecting a patient with radioactive glucose, doctors can observe which cells consume glucose faster (positron emission tomography – PET scan)
Molecules
substance composed of two or more non-metal atoms that are covalently bonded together. This means that the atoms share electrons with each other
Many of the molecules of life are organic compounds
Organic compounds
carbon-containing molecule in which carbon atoms are nearly always bonded to each other and to hydrogen
Biochemistry
the study of the activity and properties of biologically important molecules
Covalent Bonding
- Formed between compounds of relatively similar electronegativity, non-metal – non-metal
- This occurs as a result of a balance between the attraction of electrons to the nucleus of an atom and a repulsion of electrons with respect to each other.
- This “sharing” occurs when the orbitals of two atoms overlap resulting in the formation of a new “Hybridized” orbital with lower energy levels then the original orbitals
Ions
- atoms or groups of atoms (polyatomic) that have gained or lost one or more electrons, giving it a positive or negative charge.
- Certain compounds such as NaCl are hydrophilic and dissolve in water and separate into Na+ and Cl- ions. Sodium is an important ion for biological function and neurotransmission
- Some molecules, non-polar molecules, will tend to bond to each other and form clumps in water because they are hydrophobic.
- General rule: “like dissolves like”
Intramolecular force
the force occurring between atoms within a molecule
Ionic
polar covalent
non-polar covalent
Intermolecular force
the force occurring between molecules
Hydrogen bonding
ion dipole
dipole dipole
London dispersion
Acyclic
(Fischer) structure: a sugar in chain form, split at the #1 carbon and oxygen in the chain, with hydrogen and hydroxyl (-OH) groups are presented as horizontal groups
Polar bonds
- unequal sharing of the electrons. One area of the molecule ends up being more negative, and the other more positive
- Polar bonds are determined by looking at the electronegativity of the atoms
- Polar bonds have characteristics of both ionic and non-polar bonds
- The electron is pulled more strongly to the more electronegative element and so spends more time at one end of the bond.
- This results in partial charges, capable of attracting and repelling each other
Macromolecule
a large, complex molecules usually composed of repeating units of smaller molecules covalently linked together
Hydrophobic
non-polar molecules that do not have attraction interactions with water molecules.
Ex: Fats/oils tend to be hydrophobic
Hydrophilic
polar molecules that have attractive interactions with water molecules.
Ex: Glucose is hydrophilic
Cyclic
(Haworth) structure: the sugar exists in ring form, with hydrogen and hydroxyl groups above or below the plane of the ring
Functional Groups
- atoms or groups of atoms attached to a molecule that gives the molecule particular chemical and physical properties. They contain oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and/or sulfur.
- The presence of a carboxyl or hydroxyl group will make a molecule polar
- Carboxyl functional groups will make a molecule acidic
Organic molecules
ALL MOLECULES ARE ORGANIC MOLECULES
made up of only carbon and hydrogen atoms called hydrocarbons. These molecules are non-polar and release lots of energy when broken apart
Polysaccharides
- a carbohydrate polymer composed of many monosaccharides joined together by covalent bonds
- The three common types are starch, glycogen, and cellulose, all composed of glucose.
- The different ways that the glucose units are linked together results in molecules having quite different three dimensional shapes.
polymer
a large structure composed of repeating units of smaller molecules (monomers)
Carbohydrates
- a biological macromolecule that contains carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a 1:2:1 ratio (CH2O).
- Sugars and starches store chemical energy in a way that is easily accessible to the body
- The high number of hydroxyl and carbonyl groups make most carbohydrates polar molecules
- They provide short- and long-term energy storage for living organisms depending on their structure
Isomer
a molecule containing all the same atoms in the same numbers, but different structural arrangements.
Monosaccharides
- One Sugar
– a carbohydrate composed of between three and seven carbon atoms. - “They are “simple” sugars such as glucose, fructose, and galactose
- Glucose, fructose, and galactose are isomers of each other
Why 2 shapes/projections?
- Different molecules have different optical ability
- That is, they affect how light is absorbed and reflected
- It matters if even 1 of those OH groups are pointed in the wrong direction. Changing a molecules 3D shape can have vastly different effects on the molecules function in our bodies
- This is a matter of life and death in pharmaceutical research and drug manufacturing
- For example, enzymes can only bind to molecules with certain conformations (3D shapes)
Disaccharides
- a carbohydrate composed of two monosaccharides joined by a covalent bond.
- The two monosaccharides are covalently bonded by a glycosidic linkage
Sucrose
Glucose and fructose
alpha
Disaccharide
Glycosidic Bond
- The bond linking each monosaccharide to another
- Forms between the 1-Carbon of one sugar, and the 4 or 6-Carbon of the second
- The 1-Carbon is to the right of the oxygen in the ring
Lactose
Glucose and galactose
beta
Disaccharide
Maltose
Glucose and glucose
alpha
Disaccharide
Triglycerides
lipids for energy storage
- a lipid molecule composed of a glycerol molecule and three fatty acids linked by ester bonds
- Humans cannot synthesize polyunsaturated fats, thus, these essential fats must be consumed in our diet.
Starch
Polysaccharide
- Is responsible for energy storage in plants
- Long chain of glucose subunits
- More linear
- Provides short term energy storage
- Ex. Potatoes
- short energy
- long time to metabolize
Lipids
- a biological macromolecule composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms, with a high proportion of non-polar carbon-hydrogen bonds.
- Unlike carbohydrates, there are fewer oxygen atoms present
- Lipids are hydrophobic, given their non-polar nature. - The presence of many energy-rich C-H bonds makes lipids efficient energy storage molecules
- provide long term energy, however, they are not as easily accessible as carbohydrates, and are only used when carbohydrates run out
- Lipids are essential in mammals as they provide insulation from colder temperatures
- They help protect and cushion the organs of the body from external damage
- In non-human organisms, lipids provide water-repelling coatings for fur, feathers, and leaves
- Many of the membrane properties can be explained by the functioning of lipids
Glycogen
Polysaccharide
- Responsible for energy storage in animals.
- Animals and humans when consuming glucose break it down and convert it into glycogen where it is stored in the liver.
- Has a larger amount of branching than starch in order to pack more glucose units into a single cell.
- Too much glycogen can result in Glycogen Storage disease, which is usually hereditary
Cellulose
Polysaccharide
- Used by plants to build walls
- Structural molecule as it protects and supports the plant
- Principal component of wood
- Stores a lot of energy but only a few bacterial species produce the digestive chemicals to break it down into glucose units and release energy
- Animals must have these bacteria in their gut in order to obtains nutrients from grass and leaves
- Mammals and humans do not have the bacteria.
WHEN DIGESTED
- swells up when comes interacted with water
- attaches itself to other stuff
- shows up in feces b/c can’t be digested
PROVIDES
- nutrients
- water
- vitamins
- fiber
fatty acid
- a hydrocarbon chain ending in a carboxyl group
- Fatty Acids with double bonds in their structure are called unsaturated fatty acids
–0 double bonds = saturated
–1 double bond = monounsaturated (Cis or Trans)
–2 or more double bonds = polyunsaturated (Cis or Trans)
Glycerol
a ‘triol’ – molecule that contains 3 hydroxyl groups
Saturated Fats
- Saturated with Hydrogens
- No double bonds between carbon atoms
- Fairly straight, pack tightly together
- Solid at room temperature (higher melting point)
- E.g. Stearic acid (18C), butter, cheese
- intermolecular force
- London dispersion
Monounsaturated Fatty Acid
one double bond
Unsaturated/Polyunsaturated Fats
- One or more double bonds between carbon atoms, reduces the amount of Hydrogens
Cis Double bonds
- cause kinks in molecules
- At the double bond, both sides of the chain bend the same way
- Cannot pack tightly–Liquid @ room temperature
- E.g. Oleic acid (18C), vegetable oil, peanut oil
Trans Double bonds
- do NOT cause kinks/bends in molecules and thus resemble a linear structure
- At the double bond, both sides of the chain bend opposite ways
- Mimic Saturated Fats and thus pack tightly
- Semi-solid @ room temperature
- Trans fats are associated with increased risk of heart disease.
- Both saturated fats and cis-unsaturated fats are natural. We produce the necessary enzymes to metabolize these. However, there is no evidence that we produce the enzymes to metabolize trans-fatty acids
- trans fats hang on to other trans fats, which block
- foods that are trans fats always look the same, they never rot
Phospholipids
- Is a lipid composed of a glycerol molecule bonded to two fatty acids and a phosphate group with an R group
- *The difference is that a phosphate group replaces the third fatty acid of a triglyceride.
- The “head” of the phospholipid molecule is polar, while the lower “tail” portion has only non-polar C-C and C-H bond.Thus the head is hydrophilic, and the tail is hydrophobic.
Hydrogenating unsaturated vegetable oils
- adds hydrogen atoms to double bonds, making the fatty acid straighter, making them semi-solids such as margarine
- causes the fatty acid chain to become straighter, packs more tightly together and form a solid at room temp
- Hydrogenation: unsaturated bond + break it + hydrogen to where double bonds would be = convenience, to get fatty acid chain to become straighter, so that you don’t need to add anything additional like oil. this is not as healthy. this is a semisolid and is chemically modified
High Density Lipoprotein
good
- aids in moving cholesterol through blood stream
- Removes cholesterol/trans fats by transporting to the liver
- too much is bad, as it can overwork the liver
- to get more hdl, eat more polyunsaturated cis fats
Polyunsaturated fatty acid
many double bonds
R group
a group of atoms that varies in composition
Steroids
- Lipids composed of four attached rings - commonly seen in hormones in our bodies
- Cholesterol is a common member of this group and is a precursor to other important steroids such as testosterone and estrogen.
- Steroids are prescribed as an anti-inflammatory in medicine
- Estradiol (estrogen), testosterone, and progesterone are the sex hormones and control development of sex traits
- Cortisol regulates blood pressure and metabolism
- Aldosterone plays a role in blood pressure and re-absorption of ions/water in kidneys
Cholesterol
- Component of cell membranes
- High cholesterol can restrict blood flow as it builds up in veins/arteries forming plaque - heart disease, high blood pressure
- Cells convert cholesterol into compounds such as Vitamin D (bones and teeth) and bile salts (digestion of fats)
- Adds structural support to the cell membrane whilst allowing for it to bend and be flexible (Important for keeping cell membrane fluid, not rigid)
Lipid bilayer
- a structure with hydrophilic “heads” of phospholipids directed toward the aqueous environment and hydrophobic “tails” directed toward the center, interacting with each other.
- This keeps water out
- Allows the cell to be ‘selective’ of what goes in and out
- Forms as the fatty, hydrophobic chains orient away from water molecules
- When added to water, phospholipids also form spheres, called micelles.
- This forms a single layer membrane, with a hydrophobic interior
- Detergents
- Micellular water is used to remove makeup because these capsules can dissolve the makeup (like dissolves like) and they break down both polar and non-polar molecules
- Micelles are also used for pharmaceutical purposes because they can be in polar and non-polar drugs. The non-polar drugs wouldn’t interact with blood in the body, which is why they are in the interior of micelles so that they are protected by the exterior (polar). The same thing can happen when capsules are flipped, which can happen when micelles are put in oils/fats
- Hydrophilic (polar) head attracted to water and the hydrophobic tails mix with one another in centre of sphere.