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Biology (AQA) > Biological Molecules (1) > Flashcards

Biological Molecules (1) Flashcards

1
Q

What is a monomer?

A

Smaller units from which larger molecules are made

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2
Q

What are polymers?

A

Molecules made from a large number of similar monomers joined together

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3
Q

Examples of monomers?

A

Monosaccharides, amino acids and nucleotides

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4
Q

What is a condensation reaction?

A

2 molecules joining together forming a chemical bond; this involves the elimination of a water molecule (as in + H2O after)

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5
Q

What is a hydrolysis reaction?

A

The breaking of a chemical bond between 2 molecules; involves the use of a water molecule

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6
Q

What atoms are all present in (all) carbohydrates?

A

Carbon hydrogen and oxygen

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7
Q

What are the 3 carbohydrate groups?

A

Monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides

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8
Q

What is a monosaccharides?

A

Monomers of carbohydrates, mainly used in respiration to provide energy and in growth (during the formation of larger molecules).

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9
Q

Examples of monosaccharides include:

A

Glucose fructose and galactose, they all share the same formula so are hexoses

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10
Q

What formula do all monosaccharides have?

A

C6H12O6

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11
Q

Facts about monosaccharides:

A

Small, soluble molecules
Easy to transport
Sweet tasting
Reducing sugars

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12
Q

What does a reducing sugar mean in terms of tests?

A

They give a positive (brick red ppt) Benedict’s test result

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13
Q

Alongside glucose, fructose and galactose all being ____ (different structures), glucose also has 2 ____: alpha and beta glucose

A

Isomers

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14
Q

Structure of the 2 isomers are:

A
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15
Q

What is a disaccharides?

A

Double sugars. 2 monosaccharides joined together by a glycosidic bond with the release of water

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16
Q

Examples of disaccharides include:

A

Maltose lactose and sucrose

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17
Q

How are each of these 3 disaccharides formed?

A

Maltose - glucose + glucose
Sucrose - glucose + fructose
Lactose - glucose + galactose

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18
Q

How can you hydrolyse a disaccharides?

A

Heating with acid or by an enzyme

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19
Q

What is a polysaccharides?

A

Polymers of glucose, they differ in the number and arrangement of the glucose molecules they contain

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20
Q

Examples of polysaccharides include:

A

Cellulose starch and glycogen

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21
Q

Glycogen and starch are formed by ___ glucose, cellulose from ___ glucose

A

Alpha, Beta

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22
Q

Facts about polysaccharides:

A
  • do not taste sweet
  • relatively insoluble in water
  • are non reducing
  • function as storage or structural molecules
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23
Q

‘What is’ starch?

A

The storage carbohydrate found in plants, stored as starch grains in the cytoplasm of plant cells

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24
Q

What is the structure of starch?

A

Long branches chains of alpha glucose molecules linked by glycosidic bonds

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25
Q

Why is starch ideal for its function?

A

-large, can’t cross cell surface membrane
-insoluble so osmotically inactive
-helical shape for compact store
-branched so glucose easily released for respiration

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26
Q

‘What is’ glycogen?

A

The storage carbohydrate found in animal cells cytoplasm; in mammals it’s stored in large amounts in liver and muscle tissue

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27
Q

What is the structure of glycogen?

A

Condensation of alpha glucose, similar to starch but more branches meaning it can be hydrolysed more rapidly

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28
Q

Facts about glycogen:

A

-insoluble so osmotically inactive

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29
Q

‘What is’ cellulose?

A

Found in cell wall of plants; providing rigidity and shape to the cell, preventing cell bursting.

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30
Q

What is the structure of cellulose?

A

Polymer of beta glucose molecules joined by glycosidic bonds, producing long straight chains. In every other beta glucose the monomer is inverted

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31
Q

What is microfibril?

A

When cellulose hydroxyl groups form H bonds with other adjacent chains OH groups producing a 3D structure

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32
Q

What does microfibril do?

A

Provide strength

33
Q

What are the 2 types of lipids?

A

Triglycerides and phospholipids

34
Q

What elements do lipids contain?

A

Carbon hydrogen and oxygen

35
Q

Lipids are insoluble in ___ but are soluble in a range of ____ like ___

A

Water, organic solvents, alcohol

36
Q

What is a triglyceride?

A

Have 3 fatty acids joined to one glycerol - loses 3 water molecules in the process forming 3 ester bonds.

37
Q

What is a phospholipid?

A

2 fatty acids and 1 phosphate group joined to 1 glycerol

38
Q

What is the general formula of a fatty acid?

A

R-COOH (carboxylic acid group)

39
Q

What is the difference between a saturated and unsaturated fatty acid?

A

Saturated has no double carbon-carbon bonds

40
Q

Facts about triglycerides:

A
  • possess a high proportion of carbon hydrogen bonds so they release twice as much energy as carbs during aerobic respiration
  • high ratio of H to O atoms releasing water when respired
  • non polar thus insoluble in water so ideal for storage
  • present in waxy cuticle to reduce water loss
41
Q

What is the structure of a phospholipid?

A

polar hydrophilic phosphate head and 2 non polar hydrophobic fatty acid tails

42
Q

What is a phospholipid bilayer?

A

When the hydrophilic heads face out from the cell to the source of water/outside of the cell and the hydrophobic tails face in towards the cell away from the source of water, forming a bilayer

43
Q

What is a protein?

A

Polymer of amino acids. Containing carbon hydrogen oxygen nitrogen and sometimes Sulfur.

44
Q

What is the general structure of a AA?

A
45
Q

Facts about AA:

A
  • all AAs have an amine group (NH2) and a carboxylic acid group but differ in the carbon group (R)
  • they are joined together by peptide bonds (CONH)
  • 2 AAs joined together is called a dipeptide
46
Q

What is a polypeptide?

A

Multiple amino acids joined together in a chain

47
Q

What are the 4 structures of proteins?

A

Primary, Secondary, tertiary and quaternary

48
Q

What is primary structure?

A

Refers to the sequence of amino acids in the polypeptide chains, this sequence determines the specific shape of the protein

49
Q

What is the secondary structure?

A

This represents the folding or cooking of the polypeptide chain as a result of H bonding between amino acids

50
Q

What are examples of these Secondary structures?

A

Alpha helix and beta pleated sheet

51
Q

What is the tertiary structure?

A

Further folding and coiling of the secondary structure due to hydrogen ionic and disulfide bonds forming between R groups

52
Q

What does the tertiary structure do?

A

Determines the (active site and) specific function of protein

53
Q

What is the quartenary structure?

A

When a protein consists of more than one polypeptide chain

54
Q

Globular proteins are…

A

Soluble and consist of a highly folded and coiled polypeptide chain to produce a Compact complex tertiary structure.

This includes enzymes and antibodies

55
Q

What is denaturation?

A

An alteration in the tertiary structure of a protein; often irreversible and causes a loss of function

56
Q

How can denaturation occur?

A

High temperatures
Extreme changes in pH

57
Q

What is an enzyme?

A

A biological catalyst that regulate biological processes in living organisms

58
Q

What is enzyme specificity?

A

A feature of the unique tertiary structure of an enzyme that determines the shape of the active site and therefore it’s complementary substrate

59
Q

What are the 2 models related to enzyme specificity?

A

Lock and key
Induced fit

60
Q

What are all the factors that affect the rate of enzyme reactions?

A

Effect of substrate conc
Effect of enzyme conc
Effect of temperature
Effect of pH

61
Q

What are the 2 enzyme inhibitors and what do they do?

A

Competitive - ‘fight’ for the active site and take it up not allowing the similar structure substrate to get in

Non-comp - attaches away from the active site and causes the enzyme to change in tertiary structure

62
Q

What is DNA?

A

Deoxyribonucleic acid, a polymers of nucleotides

63
Q

What is the structure of DNA?

A

One Pentose sugar deoxyribose, a phosphate group and an organic base

64
Q

How are nucleotides joined together?

A

Phosphodiester bonds

65
Q

What bonds are bases joined by?

A

Hydrogen

66
Q

What are the structures of DNA and their function?

A
67
Q

What are the differences between DNA and RNA?

A
  • pentose is ribose in RNA not deoxyribose
  • organic base Uracil replaces Thymine in RNA
  • mRNA And tRNA are single stranded in RNA compared to DNAs double strand
68
Q

What is the details of semi conservative DNA replication?

A

1- DNA Helicase breaks bonds between bases separating the 2 strands and exposing the bases
2- each strand acts as a template
3- DNA nucleotides align and attach by hydrogen bonding to the exposed complementary bases
4- AT and CG
5- the nucleotides are joined together by phosphodiester bonds in the new strand catalysed by DNA polymerase
6- 2 DNA molecules containing one original strand and one new strand are formed

69
Q

What is ATP?

A

Adenosine triphosphate, immediate energy source for biological processes - ATP is made of one adenine 3 phosphate groups and one ribose

70
Q

What purpose does the phosphate have?

A

Used to phosphorylate other compounds often making them more reactive

71
Q

ATP can be resynthesised with the help of?

A

ATP synthase

72
Q

What is water?

A

2 Hydrogen Atoms covalently bonded to an oxygen molecule - these are weak hydrogen bonds

73
Q

What are the 4 main roles/properties of water?

A

Metabolic reactions, solvent, temperature regulation, support

74
Q

What are the 4 main ions?

A

Sodium iron hydrogen phosphate

75
Q

What is the role of sodium?

A

Cotransport glucose and amino acids across cell membranes

76
Q

What is the role of iron?

A

Component of haemoglobin which transports oxygen

77
Q

What is the role of hydrogen?

A

Important in determining pH and thus affecting protein structure and enzyme activity

78
Q

What is the role of phosphate?

A

Important as a structural component of DNA, RNA and ATP

Biology (AQA) (8 decks)

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