Biological Molecules Flashcards
Explain dehydration (condensation) reactions as well as hydrolysis reactions in the context of formation and breakdown of biological molecules in cells.
dehydration (condensation) reaction - makes polymers by losing water
hydrolysis - breaks down polymers by adding water
Describe the basic building blocks of proteins, as well as their main functional groups and chemical properties
monomers (building blocks) - amino acids
main chain - center C, amino group, and carboxyl group (same for every protein)
side chain - R group (unique and results in different amino acids.
What are the functions of proteins?
enzymatic, defensive, storage, transport, hormonal, receptor, contractile/motor, structural
What are the amino acid groups and some examples?
polar - CO, OH, SH, NH2
nonpolar - CH3, carbon ring
acidic - negatively charged
basic - positively charged
what are amino acids linked by?
peptide bonds
what are the 4 levels of folding for proteins?
primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary
Which of the folding structures of proteins intramolecular/intermolecular?
intramolecular - primary, tertiary
intermolecular - secondary, tertiary, quaternary
In a cell where pH is normal, what is the amino acid presented as?
ionized form - amino group positive charge, carboxyl group negative charge
What is primary folding?
amino acids are connected together through peptide bonds
What is secondary folding?
main chains interact through hydrogen bonding to form alpha helices and beta sheets
What is tertiary folding?
R groups (1 polypeptide) interact based on their classification to form a 3D shape (nonpolar - hydrophobic, polar - hydrogen bonds, acidic/basic - ionic bonds)
2 cysteine amino acid R groups (SH at the end) interact to form covalent bonds
What is quaternary folding?
R groups (2 or more polypeptide) interact based on their classification to form a 3D shape (nonpolar - hydrophobic, polar - hydrogen bonds, acidic/basic - ionic bonds)
What is denaturation and the cause of it?
protein folds back to its primary structure (no longer biologically active)
cause: change in environmental conditions
ex. change in pH or temp.
What is renaturation?
protein goes back to its original structure - denaturation process is reversed, can be done so by reversing environmental conditions that caused the denaturation
What are the 2 types of nucleic acids?
DNA, RNA
