Biological Molecules Flashcards
CHON, aqueous environment, temperatures
Organic compounds
Carbon is not directly bonded to carbon or hydrogen,example Carbon dioxide.
Inorganic compounds
Why are organic compounds important?
1) constitute structures
2) participate and regulate metabolic reactions
3) transmit information
4) provide energy
Releasing water to build bonds
Condensation reactions
Adding water to break bonds
Hydrolytic reactions
The 5 polysaccharides/carbohydrates
Sugars, starches and glycogen, cellulose and chitin.
What are the energy sources?
Sugars and starches
What are the structural components?
Cellulose and chitin
Carbohydrates are composed of sugar units called?
Saccharides
What is the most abundant monosaccharide and describe its structure?
Glucose, a ring of 5 carbon and 1 oxygen atom (carbon 6 not in the ring), to each carbon a H and OH is attached.
The two isomers of glucose?
Alpha-glucose (down) and beta-glucose (up)
How are monosaccharides joined together?
Via glycosidic bonds (1-4 or 1-6 for branches).
Sucrose
[ 1 glucose+1 fructose]
Common table sugar
Enzyme: invertase
Maltose
[glucose]
By-product of starch hydrolysis
Enzyme: Maltase
Lactose
[ 1 glucose + 1 galactose]
Enzyme: lactase
Enzyme in bacteria: beta-galactosidase
Homopolysaccharides
Polymers composed of a single type of sugar monomer, glucans and mannans
Hetropolysaccharides
Polymers composed of more than one type of monosaccharides, hyaluronic acid.
Energy storage in plants, energy source in animals, broken by gut enzymes.
Starch
Human storage equivalent, more branched and water soluble, stored in liver and muscle cells.
Glycogen
Starch is a mixture of 2 glucose homopolymers?
1) alpha-amylose- unbranched and forms micelles.
2) amylopectin-branched with a backbone of 1-4 branch points (1-6)
Amyloplasts
Found in plant cells, responsible for synthesis and storage of starch granules through glucose polymerization. Convert starch to sugar when needed.
Hydrolysis of starch amylose is done by 2 enzymes
Alpha-amylase: saliva and pancreatic juices, produces glucose and maltose.
Beta-amylase: malt - yeasts, mounds, bacteria; produces maltose
Amylases degrade Amylopectin, but cannot break branches:
Products: dextrin and limit dextrin, needs isomaltase to fully degrade.
Most abundant carbohydrate’s bond cannot be broken down by enzymes.
Cellulose has beta - (1-4) glycosidic linkages.it only provides fiber in diets. Glucose is also rotated 180°
Main component in cell wall of fungi
Chitin, which das NH2 instead of OH
