Biological molecules Flashcards
Why are biological molecules important?
biological molecules are important for organisms to build structures and for use in metabolic reactions.
How are large molecules made?
large molecules are made when smaller molecules bind together.
Explain how carbohydrates are made?
carbohydrates are made up of many small molecules containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Glucose is a small sugar molecule, when many glucose molecule bind together in a chain, cellulose, starch and glycogen can be formed. Cellulose is used for structures and makes up the plant cell wall whereas starch and glycogen are stored in cells and used in respiration to provide energy for the organism. Glycogen is stored in animals whereas starch is stored in plants.
Explain how fats are made?
fats and oils are made up of fatty acids and glycerol which contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Fats have a variety of rolls in organisms including insulation, energy, waterproofing, structure and protection around delicate organs
Explain how proteins are made?
Proteins are made up of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sometimes sulpher. These elements make up amino acids, which bind together in a chain to make proteins, different arrangements of amino acids make different proteins with different shapes.
What type of biological molecule are enzymes and explain with an exmaple
Enzymes are proteins; each enzyme’s has an active site has a specific shape allowing it bind to to a specific substrate molecule to catalyze metabolic reactions.
Explain antibodies
anti bodies have a specific shape, formed by a specific sequence of amino acids. This allows them to bind to antigens on foreign pathogens and kill them.
How and why is water so important for living organisms?
water is an important molecule that is a major component in cells. It acts as a solvent in which chemical reactions occur, helps to maintain a constant body temperature and is a metabolite.
Explain about the basics of DNA
DNA is composed of two strands coiled around each other to form a double helix. Each strand is made up of a sugar backbone with bases attached to it. These bases bind to the bases of the other strand to form cross links when they are wound together. There are 4 bases. A, T, G, C. ‘A’ always binds to ‘T’ and ‘G’ always binds to ‘C’
