Biochemistry Flashcards
1
Q
Organic molecules
A
- always contain carbon and hydrogen
- needed in order to keep our bodies functioning
- monomers such as glycerol, fatty acids, amino acids and nucleotides join together to form the polymers of lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids
- become complex because functional groups(a cluster of atoms that behave in specific ways)also attach to carbon atoms
2
Q
Carbon compounds
A
- has the potential to form many compounds therefore it’s the basis of most organic compounds
- can form simple structures such as methane to form chains as seen in fatty acids
- can also bond with itself to form a ring as seen in carbohydrates
3
Q
What are the four most common elements?
A
Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen
4
Q
Hydrogen bond
A
- occurs when a convalently bonded hydrogen is positive and attracted to another negatively charged atom
- water has negative and positive ends; electrons spend more time around the oxygen atoms, creating a slight negative charge on O and a positive charge on H
- represented by a dotted line( - - - )
- can strengthen the molecule(ice formation) or dissociate a molecule (hydrolysis)
5
Q
How is water a coolant?
A
- it takes more energy to break the bonds and release steam
- can store large amounts of heat
- can also evaporate thus allowing an organism to lose heat
6
Q
How does water regulate temperature?
A
- the hydrogen bonds cause water to absorb a great deal of heat before it boils
- water also holds heat so its temperature falls slowly
7
Q
How is water the universal solvent?
A
- the polarity of water can break apart molecules as the negative end (O) will pull apart the positive ions and vice versa
- when ions and molecules disperse in water, they move about and collide, allowing reactions to occur
8
Q
Why is water a good transport medium?
A
- water molecules cling together because of hydrogen bonding and yet water moves freely
- allows dissolved and suspended molecules to be evenly distributed throughout a system
- when water molecules evaporate they can pull through other dissolved molecules from behind
9
Q
Carbohydrates
A
- quick and short-term energy storage
- easily digested which makes their energy easy to obtain
- soluble in water so they are transported around the body easily
- formed with C, H, and O in different arrangements
10
Q
Glucose
A
- a monosaccharide(others include galactose and fructose)
- -the simplest carbon ring
- forms the base of carbs
11
Q
Starch
A
- a hydrocarbon carbon chain with few branches
- a way for plants to store glucose
12
Q
Glycogen
A
- hydrocarbon chain with many brances
- a way for animals to store glucose
13
Q
Cellulose
A
- hydrocarbon that has alternating positions of oxygen
- builds cell walls
14
Q
Dehydration synthesis
A
- occurs when 2 glucose molecules(monosaccharides) hook up to form a dissacharide(maltose, lactose, and sucrose)
- during the process a water molecule is released
15
Q
Hydrolysis
A
- occurs when water breaks up a molecule
- the addition of water leads to the disruption of the bonds linking the unit molecules tother
- requires the action of enzymes(hydrolytic enzymes)
16
Q
Functions of carbohydrates
A
- energy production(glucose=energy)
- energy storage(starch, glycogen)
- structural
- cell membrane markers(receptors)
17
Q
Lipids
A
- fats(fatty acids)
- phospholipids
- steroids
18
Q
Fats
A
- a hydrocarbon chain that ends with an acidic group (COOH)
- usually 16-18 carbons long with a double of O
- produced through condensation reaction where 3 water molecules are produced
- formed from glycerol plus fatty acids
- saturated bonds: solid at room temperature as it is more stable due to its hydrogen bonds; no double bonds; butter
- unsaturated fats: liquids like oils; double bonded carbon
19
Q
Phospholipids
A
- same structure as a fatty acid but contains a phosphate or nitrogen instead of an acidic acid
- replace one fatty acid in a triglyceride with a phosphate-containing group, this causes the molecule to be polar(hydrophillic)
- tail is non-polar (hydrophobic)
20
Q
Steroids
A
- contain a four-carbon ring that is fused together
- differ due to atomic ring arrangement and the functional group that is attached
- sex hormones, cholesterol
21
Q
Lipid functions
A
- long term energy storage(adipose tissue)
- insulation; subeutaneous and around major organs
- structure; cell membrane
- hormones; cholesterol, sex hormones
- leaf cuticle
- waterproof animal fur/feather
- neural impulse
- buoyancy in aquatic animals
22
Q
Proteins
A
- building blocks are amino acids
- macromolecules with amino acid monomers
- some proteins are enzymes which speed chemical reactions
23
Q
Polymerization
A
-occurs when a protein is formed
-when a chain of amino acids is created by bonding each amino acid together
-
24
Q
Peptides
A
- aka amino acids
- proteins are usually 50-75 amino acids long
- chains of 2 or more amino acids are called polypeptides(a single chain of amino acids)
- a condensation synthesis reaction between 2 amino acids results in a dipeptide and a molecule of water
- polypeptides can make use of 20 different amino acids
- each polypeptide has its own sequence of amino acids
25
Q
Peptide bond
A
- a bond that joins 2 amino acids
- elements that are involved are O, C, N, & H
- peptide bond is polar
- hydrogen bonding is possible between the C=O of 1 amino acid and the N-H of another amino acid in a polypeptide
26
Q
Protein level of structure
A
- primary: chain like sequence of amino acids joined by peptide chains
- secondary: twisting of primary structure into a helix; hydrogen bonds form between H & O of the backbone( weak bond); similar to winding staircase & pleated sheets
- tertiary: a complex folding of the secondary helix into a globular shape(3D shape); ionic bonds, covalent bonds, H-bonds, and S-S bonds between cysteines
- quatermary: more than one tertiary protein molecule bound together into a globular mass; held together by the same bonds found in the tertiary structure (e.g. hemoglobin)
27
Q
Protein functions
A
- structure; keratin(hair, nails), collagen
- enzymes; salivary anylase
- hormones; insulin
- transport; hemoglobin
- movement; actin & myosin(muscle cell)
- defense(immunoglobin)
28
Q
Protein denaturation
A
- occurs when proteins undergo an irreversible change in shape
- the loss of specific shape of a protein will cause it to lose its function properties
- can be done by temperature, pH, or chemicals(heavy metals)
29
Q
Nucleic acids
A
- chemicals that carry hereditary or genetic information
- huge macromolecular compounds that are polymers of nucleotides
30
Q
DNA
A
- makes up chromosomes and genes
- controls all cell activities
- undergoes mutations which contributes to evolution
- -4 different nucleotides; sequence of these nucleotides is the genetic code
- polymers of nucleotides that form from the dehydration synthesis between nucleotides
31
Q
RNA
A
- works with DNA to make proteins
- has 1 different nucleotide for a total of 5 different nucleotides
- polymers of nucleotides that form from the dehydration synthesis between nucleotides
32
Q
Nucleotides
A
-consist of a five carbon sugar (ribose/deoxyribose), a phophate, and a nitrogen containing base(1 or 2 rings)
33
Q
ATP
A
- energy currency for the cell
- a nucleotide but not part of a nucleic acid
