Biological Molecules Flashcards
What is a polymer?
A polymer is many monomers joined together
Describe a condensation reaction
A condensation reaction joins two molecules together with the formation of a chemical bond and involves the production of a molecule of water.
Describe a hydrolysis reaction
A hydrolysis reaction breaks a chemical bond between two molecules and involves the use of a water molecule.
Define a monosaccharide. Name the three monosaccharides you need to know and give their formula.
Monosaccharides: a single carbohydrate unit which cannot be hydrolysed (broken down) to any simpler carbohydrate.
Glucose, galactose and fructose are examples – all have the formula C6H12O6
Draw the Structures of Alpha and Beta glucose
Check online to confirm (I can’t include images sorryyyy)
Describe the reaction which forms a disaccharide.
Formed when two monosaccharides join together. A condensation reaction occurs, a water molecule is removed and a glycosidic bond is formed between the two monosaccharides.
Draw the reaction which forms maltose from its monosaccharides and circle the bond formed.
Check online to confirm (I can’t include images sorryyyy)
For each of the disaccharides you need to know (there are 3), write the monosaccharides they are formed from and the chemical equation for each.
Lactose C12H22O11: made of glucose and galactose.
Sucrose C12H22O11: made of glucose and fructose
Maltose C12H22O11: 2 a-glucose molecules joined together
What is a polysaccharide?
Polysaccharides: are long chains of many monosaccharides joined together in condensation reactions with the formation of glycosidic bonds
Is starch found in animals or plants? What is it used for?
Found in plants used for storage
Is glycogen found in animals or plants? What is it used for?
Found in Animals used for storage
Is cellulose found in animals or plants? What is it used for?
Found in Plants - strength in cell walls
What monomers is starch made up of? Are they the same way up?
Made of alpha glucose
All the same way up
What monomers is glycogen made up of? Are they the same way up?
Made of alpha glucose
All the same way up
What monomers is cellulose made up of? Are they the same way up?
Made of beta glucose
Describe the structure of starch.
chains form a helical structure
Describe the structure of glycogen.
Helical with lots of branches
Describe the structure of cellulose.
Long straight chains
Are there hydrogen bonds in starch?
Yes – holding the starch in the helical shape
Are there hydrogen bonds in glycogen?
Yes – holding the glycogen in the coil
Are there hydrogen bonds in cellulose?
Yes – MANY H-bonds between the chains forming microfibrils and fibrils
Which bonds are present in starch?
1-4 glycosidic bonds and a few 1-6 glycosidic bonds.
Which bonds are present in glycogen?
1-4 glycosidic bonds are formed and lots of 1-6 glycosidic bonds
Which bonds are present in cellulose?
1-4 glycosidic bonds are formed
Describe the difference in structure between starch and cellulose
- Starch is made of alpha glucose and cellulose is made of beta glucose.
- Starch is made of 1-4 glycosidic bonds and some 1-6 glycosidic bonds. Cellulose contains only 1-4 glycosidic bonds.
- Starch glucose monomers are the same way up. -Cellulose glucose monomers are alternately inverted.
- Starch has a coiled structure whereas cellulose is made of long straight chains.
- Cellulose chains are held together by H-bonds forming microfibrils, but this doesn’t happen in starch
How is the structure of starch related to its function?
Compact storage molecule because of its helical structure
Doesn’t affect osmosis because it is insoluble
Cannot leave cells because it is a large molecule
How is the structure of glycogen related to its function?
Can be hydrolysed quickly because it has lots of branches so enzymes can act at the end of each branch
Doesn’t affect osmosis because it is insoluble
Is a compact storage molecule because it is tightly coiled
How does the structure of cellulose relate to its function?
Long straight chains are joined together by MANY hydrogen bonds forming microfibrils. This provides strength to the cell wall.
Describe the test for Reducing sugars
Heat with Benedict’s solution. An orange/ brick red precipitate shows the presence of a reducing sugar
Describe the test for non-reducing sugars
Heat with Benedict’s solution and stays blue/negative
Add HCl and heat
Add sodium hydrogen carbonate to neutralise the acid.
Add Benedict’s solution and heat.
An orange/ brick red precipitate shows the presence of a reducing sugar
Describe the test for starch
Add iodine dissolved in potassium iodide.
It turns Blue/Black if starch is present
Describe how you would use colorimetry to identify the concentration of glucose in an unknown solution
- Carry out the Benedict’s test on samples of glucose with a known concentration of glucose
- Use a colorimeter to find the % light transmission of known samples of glucose
- Draw a graph with glucose concentration on the x-axis and % light transmission on the y-axis
- Plot the points on the graph and draw a calibration curve
- Carry out the Benedict’s test on the solution of glucose with an unknown concentration
- Find the % light transmission for this sample using the colorimeter
- Find this % of light transmission on the y-axis and draw a horizontal line until you reach the calibration curve. Then draw a vertical line down and read the conc. of glucose from the x-axis
what are the 4 most abundant elements present in biological molecules and how many bonds can they have
hydrogen- 1 oxygen- 2 nitrogen- 3 carbon- 4
Describe the structure of a triglyceride
One molecule of glycerol and three molecules of fatty acid
How is a triglyceride form?
A condensation reaction between glycerol and 3 fatty acids (RCOOH), with the elimination of 3 molecules of water and the formation of 3 ester bonds.
Draw a triglyceride – circle the ester
Check online (can’t put pics sorryyy)