Biochemistry Flashcards
Cohesion
the sticking together of particles of the same substance.
surface tension
A measure of how difficult it is to stretch or break the surface of a liquid
water properties
-High heat capacity
-molecules of water cling together (high cohesion)
-high surface tension
-frozen water is less dense than liquid water (water anomaly)
Monomer
a small chemical unit that makes up a polymer
Polymer
A long molecule consisting of many monomers linked together.
Carbohydrates
a family of molecules that are made mainly of oxygen, hydrogen and carbon.
suffix: “OSE”
general formula: (CH₂O)n
Monosaccharides
the monomers that compose all carbohydrates.
general formula: (CH₂O)n
n is a number between 3 to 6, therefore there are three types of monosaccharides:
Triose: 3 carbons in the backbone
pentose- 5 carbons in the backbone
hexose- 6 carbons in the backbone
How many fatty acids chains are found in phospholipids?
2
Water polarity
Negative dipole on the oxygen atom
Portage dipole on the hydrogen atoms
How many hydrogen bonds can a water molecule form?
4 bonds
1 from each hydrogen
2 from the oxygen
Why does the cohesion in water very high?
Because of the dipole-dipole forces and the hydrogen bonds they form.
What are macromolecules?
Built by repetitive molecules called monomer, and are linked together to form a large molecule called polymer.
Monomers are not always identical to each other
Polymers can be in different lengths
What types of macromolecules exist in biochemistry?
4 kinds:
- proteins
- nucleic acid
- carbohydrates/ polysaccharides (sugar)
- lipids
What type of monomers form protein?
Amino acids
What type of monomers form nucleic acid?
Nucleotides
What type of monomers form carbohydrates?
Monosaccharides
What type of subunits form lipids?
Fatty acids
Which of the macromolecules is not a polymer?
Lipids
What is the general formula of carbohydrates?
( CH2O )n
What are the main functions of carbohydrates?
- Energy source
- mechanical support
- building blocks
What are the main types of monosaccharides?
- Trioses (3 carbon sugar)
- Pentoses (5 carbon sugar) → ribose, deoxyribose
- Hexoses (6 carbon sugar) → glucose
What is the structure of monosaccharides?
Ketone or aldehyde
Depends on their location on the carbonyl
What are structural isomers?
Same chemical composition, but differ in the place of the carbonyl group and in the place/ orientation of the OH group
What are stereo isomers in saccharides?
Almost Mirror image of one another
2 forms:
D- form
L-form