BIOCHEM Flashcards
large, carbon-based organic molecules that are found in living organisms?
macromolecules
chains of molecules formed through the loss of a water molecule (dehydration synthesis)
polymers
energy-storing molecules containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a 1:2:1 ratio
carbohydrates
singe-sugar sugar units founds as rings?
monosaccharides
have two monosaccharide subunits?
disaccharides
are long chains of sugars?
polysaccharides
hydrocarbon-based molecules that are insoluble in water (hydrophobic)?
lipids
3 primary families of lipids?
- fats
- steroids
- phospholipids
large-energy storing molecules?
fats
2 components of fats?
- 1 molecule of glycerol
- 3 fatty acids
four fused-hydrocarbon rings?
steroids
glycerol with two fatty acids and a phospholipid group attached (found in membranes?
phospholipids
are long polymer chains called polypeptides built from amino acid subunits linked by peptide bonds?
proteins
every amino acid contains?
- central carbon with amino group (NH2)
- carboxyl group (COOH)
- hydrogen (H)
- 1 of the 20 side groups (R)
defines the attributes of the amino acid?
the side group (R)
polymers of nucleotides that encode genetic information
nucleic acids
two forms of nucleic acid?
DNA & RNA
individual nucleotides are linked by?
phosphodiester bonds
nucleotides contain 3 basic parts?
- phosphate group
- five-carbon sugar
- one nitrogenous base
double-ringed purines?
adenine and guanine
single-ringed pyramidines?
thymine and cytosine
RNA pyramidine instead of thymine?
uracil
first law of thermodynamics?
energy is never created or destroyed, only transformed
second law of thermodynamics?
entropy, or randomness, is always increasing. Every transformation of energy creates greater disorder.
spontaneous release of free energy (change in energy is negative)
exergonic change
non-spontaneous absorption of free energy (change in energy is positive)
endergonic change
refers to the energy required to initiate the reaction?
activation energy
- biological catalysts
- proteins capable of speeding chemical reactions without being consumed
- they lower the activation energy of a reaction but does not affect the free energy change
enzymes
is a molecule that an enzyme reacts with?
substrate
is the part of the enzyme where substrate molecules bind and a chemical reaction takes place?
active site
enzymatic activity activators/inhibitors?
- cofactors
- competitive & noncompetitve inhibitors
- activators
- feedback inhibitors
- cooperativity
