Biochemistry Flashcards
Atom
neutrons,protons,electrons
All organims are made up of
Matter - whatever takes up space
(ex: organisms)
Molecules
group of 2+ atoms held together
Electronegativity
ability of atom to attract electrons
Highly EN
pulls electrons close together closer to the atom
Lower EN
electrons are further apart
Ionic Bond
transfer of electrons between different EN atoms
Covalent
transfer of electrons between the same EN atoms
Non-Polar Bond
equal sharing of electrons
Polar Bond
unequal sharing of electrons (dipole - dif EN of atom)
Hydrogen Bond
A weak bond forms with molecules that have a H with a highly electronegative molecule (F,O,N)
Intermolecular
interactions within the same molecules
Intramolecular
interactions between molecules
Van Der Waals Interactions
Weak attraction, similar to hydrogen bonds however there’s more of an attraction due to the distribution of electrons
Excellent Solvent
Water - dipoles of H2O break up polar or charged ionic molecules
Water has…
High Heat Capacity - stable response to temp change, takes addition of a lot of heat before temp changes
Water Density
-Water expands when frozen and becomes less dense
-Water as a liquid is more dense
UNIQUE TO WATER
Water Cohesion
- water is attracted to like substances due to its H bonds
- strong surface tension as a result of high cohesion
Water Adhesion
- water is attracted to unlike substances
ex: wetting finger to turn the page of a book
Capillary Action
The ability of a liquid to flow without external forces (ex gravity) - water cohesion and adhesion explain this
Transpiration (water transport in plants)
Process of water going up plants due to cohesion and adhesion
Minerals
Inorganic ions that the human body needs to function
- found intracellularly and extracellularly
Minerals Function
- bone development
- establishing electrochemical gradient in muscle and nerve function
- components of hemoglobin in RBC
Vitamins
organic molecules needed for human function
- water and fat-soluble vitamins
Fat Soluble Vitamins
- over consumption can lead to toxic amounts in the body as the vitamins are stored in fat
Water Soluble Vitamins
Excess pass through in urine
Vitamin B
water-soluble
- coenzymes or precursor to coenzymes in the metabolic process
- 8 of them
Vitamin C
water-soluble
-synthesizing collegian
- deficiency can lead to “Scurvy” which is weakened connective tissue
Vitamin A
fat-soluble
- vision
- maintaining epithelium of the skin
Vitamin D
Fat-Soluble
-regulating calcium by promoting absorption in the intestine
- synthesized by the presence of sunlight
Vitamin E
fat-soluble
- antioxidant
- prevent cell damage by neutralizing the free radical
Free Radical
Highly unstable unpaired electrons
Vitamin K
fat-soluble
- blood clotting by producing proteins that help with this
Macromolecules
larger molecules formed from smaller molecules (monomers)
Types of Monomers
- monosaccharides -> polysaccharides
- hydrocarbons -> lipids
- amino acids -> proteins
- nucleotides -> nucleic acids
(right side is what they form)
Hydrolysis
Polymers can be delinked using H2O to turn them into monomers
Dehydration Synthesis
Monomers are linked via this to form polymers
H2O is a by product
Carbohydrates
function is to store energy
Monosaccaride
one sugar
Disaccaride
two sugars joined together by glycosidic bond
Polysaccaride
series of connected monosaccaride
Types of Monosaccaride
glucose, fructose (5), galactose
Types of Disaccarides
maltose, sucrose, lactose
What is maltose made of
glucose + glucose
What is sucrose made of
glucose + fructose
What is lactose made of
glucose + galactose
Types of Polysaccharides
starch, glycogen, cellulose, chitin
Starch (bond type and function)
-alpha glucose molecules
-energy storage in plants
Glycogen (bond type and function)
- alpha glucose molecules
- energy storage in animals
Chitin (bond type and function
- beta glucose molecules + nitrogen
- a structural molecule in arthropod/insect exoskeleton and fungi cell walls
Cellulose (bond type and function)
- beta glucose molecules
- a structural molecule in plant cell walls
Which polysaccharides are linear
chitin and cellulose
What glycosidic bond can humans NOT break down
- beta linkages because humans lack the enzyme to digest them
Lipids
Macrocmolecules containg long hydrocarbons that are hydrophobic
ex: fats, oils,steroid hormones, phospholipids
Lipids Function
insulation, energy storage, endocrine molecules, structural
Lipid Monomers
Lipids do not have repeating monomer units; lipids are made of hydrophobic carbons and hydrogen molecules
4 Types of Lipids
triglycerides, phospoplipids, steroids, porphyrins
Triglycerides
3 nonpolar fatty acid chains + glycerol backbone
Lipid Chemical Reaction
linked by dehydration synthesis, broken down by hydrolysis
Saturated Fatty Acid
No double bonds (straight chains); hard to break down because compact
Unsaturated Fatty Acid
contains double bonds (branched) ; easier to breakdown because less compact
Glycerol Backbone
3 carbon molecule
Fatty Acid
long carbon chains
Phospholipids
2 fatty acid + phosphate to a glycerol backbone
hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tail = amphipathic molecule
Steroids
three 6-membered rings + one 5 membered ring
Porphorins
pyrrole rings with metal atom center
Porphyrins Example
hemoglobin and chlorophyll
Hemoglobin
Fe2+ (iron) center to transport O2
Chlorophyll
Mg center to help absorb light
Cell Membrane Fluidity
how still or loose membrane is
hot = too fluid
cold = too rigid
ideal = fluidity
Cell Membrane Fluidity: Cold Weather
cholesterol function plus unsaturated fatty acids to break rigidity
Cell Membrane Fluidity: Hot Weather
Cholesterol function and saturated fatty acid to make membrane more stiff
Proteins
polymers of amino acids bonded together via peptide bonds
Protein Monomer
Amino Acid
Protein Polymer
polypeptide
Protein Bond Type
peptide bond
Protein Chemical Reaction
linked by dehydration synthesis, broken down by hydrolysis
Protein Function
transport, structural, mechanical, enzyme, storage, antiboides, hormones, steroids, fluid balance, acid base balance, channels and pumps
Primary Protein Structure
sequence of amino acids connected by peptide bonds
Secondary Protein Structure
3D shapes of specific sections resulting from hydrogen bonding of amino and carboxyl groups of adjacent amino acids
ex: alpha helices and beta sheets (hydrogen bonds)
Tertiary Protein Structure
entire 3D structure of proteins due to interactions of amino acids
Proteins: Non Covalent Interactions
h-bonds, ionic bonds, hydrophilic interactions, di sulfide bonds, van der waals forces
Quaternary Protein Structure
protein containing more than 1 amino acid chain
proteins function is determined by…..
it’s shape
Protein Denaturation
proteins loose structure due to external forces like extreme heat, pH, salt concentration, UV light, chemicals, etc which alter function
