Biological molecules Flashcards
what is hydrogen bonding?
a hydrogen bond is a weak interaction that occurs between a slightly negatively charged atom and a slightly positively charged atom
list 4 important functions of water inside and outside of the cells
reactant in most chemical reactions - hydrolysis
solvent- substances can dissolve in it as most biological reactions take place in solution
its a habitat- helps with temperature control, less dense when freezes so many organisms can survive and reproduce in it
transports substances- its a liquid and solvent so easily transports all sorts of material around animal and plant cells.
how is waters structure related to its functions?
hydrogen bonds give water a high specific heat capacity- hydrogen bonds between water molecules can absorb lots of energy so water takes a lot of energy to heat up meaning it does not experience rapid temperature changes making it a good habitat.
hydrogen bonds give it a high latent heat of evaporation- takes a lot of energy to break hydrogen bonds between water molecules, so a lot of heat is used up when water evaporates meaning waters great for cooling things as we sweat when we are hot and when sweat evaporates it cools the surface of the skin
waters polarity makes it a good solvent- ions can be be dissolved as the slightly positive end of a water molecule will be attracted to a negative ion and vice versa. (important ions can dissolve in water in blood and be transported around the body
water is less dense when it freezes- water molecules are held further apart in ice as it forms 4 H bonds with other water molecules making a lattice structure so ice floats. it forms an insulating layer on top of water so water does not freeze.
what is specific heat capacity?
is the energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1 degree
what is glucose
it is a monosaccharide with six carbon atoms, hexose monosaccharide
what is a ribose
is a monosaccharide with five carbon atoms, pentose monosaccharide
what do all carbohydrates contain?
carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
what are monosaccharides joined together by?
glycosidic bonds
what is sugar a general term for
monosaccharides and disaccharides
condensation reaction
a hydrogen atom on one monosaccharide bonds to a hydroxyl group OH on the other, releasing a molecule of water.
hydrolysis reaction
a molecule of water reacts with the glycosidic bond, breaking it apart
what glucose molecules from maltose?
2 alpha molecules
what glucose molecules form sucrose?
alpha glucose and fructose
what glucose molecules form lactose?
either alpha glucose or beta glucose and galactose
name 3 polysaccharides
starch
glycogen
cellulose
what is the structure and function of starch
starch is a mixture of 2 polysaccharides of alpha glucose, amylose and amylopectin
starch is the main energy storage material in plants. its insoluble in water so it does not cause water to enter cells by osmosis which can make them swell ideally making them good for storage
what is the structure and function of amylose?
long, unbranched chain of alpha glucose the angles of glycosidic bonds give it a coiled structure
compact, good for storage as a lot can fit in small spaces
what is the structure and function of amylopectin?
a long, branched chain of alpha glucose.
its side branches allow the enzymes that break down the molecule to get at the glycosidic bonds easily, meaning glucose can be released quickly.
what is the structure and function of glycogen?
the main energy storage material in animals
polysaccharide of alpha glucose and its structure is similar to amylopectin but has a lot more side branches, more branches=more glucose can be released quickly. very compact
what is the structure and function of cellulose?
the major component of cell walls in plants
made of long, unbranched chains of beta glucose and the cellulose chains are linked together by hydrogen bonds to from strong fibres called microfibrils, means cellulose provides structural support for cells.
what are triglycerides?
are a kinds of lipid, macromolecules
what bonds do triglycerides contain?
they contain ester bonds
how many molecules of glycerol and fatty acids do triglycerides have
1 molecule of glycerol and 3 fatty acids
what is the process called in which triglycerides are synthesised
esterification
define saturated fatty acids
dont have double bonds between their carbon atoms
cnh2n+1cooh
define unsaturated fatty acid
have at least one double bond between carbon atoms which cause the chain to kink
structure of a phospholipids (macromolecule)
1 phosphate group attached to glycerol and 2 fatty acids
what are the 3 lipids?
triglycerides, phospholipids and cholesterol
what is the structure and function of triglycerides?
energy storage molecules
they long hydrocarbon tails of the fatty acids contain lots of chemical energy so a lot of energy is released when they are broken down.lipids contain 2x more energy in g than carbohydrates
insoluble- dont cause water to enter cells by osmosis
what is the structure and function of phospholipids?
found in cell membranes
phospholipid tails are hydrophobic and head is hydrophilic so water soluble substances cant easily pass though it
what is the structure and function of cholesterol
helps strengthen the cell membrane by interacting with the phospholipid bilayer
small and flattened shape (fits in between phospholipid molecules in membrane, bind to hydrophobic tails making them more rigid and less fluid
which elements do amino acids contain?
carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and hydrocarbon and some contain sulfur
what are amino acids linked together by?
peptide bonds
what is the primary structure of a protein?
sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain
what is the secondary structure of a protein
hydrogen bonds form between nearby amino acids in the chain, this makes them coil into alpha helix or beta pleated sheet
what is the tertiary structure of a protein
the coiled or folded chain of amino acid coils and folds further, more bonds form between different parts of the polypeptide chain, 3d structure
what is the quaternary structure of a protein?
some proteins are made of different polypeptide chains held together by bonds, this forms their final 3d structure. the quaternary structure is how these polypeptide chains are assembled together.
what bonds hold the primary structure?
peptide bonds between amino acids
what bonds hold the secondary structure?
hydrogen bonds
what bonds hold the tertiary structure?
ionic, disulphide, hydrophobic/phillic interactions, hydrogen bonds
what bonds hold the quaternary structure?
all bonds
what is the structure and properties of a globular protein?
round and compact
soluble
3 globular proteins and their functions
haemoglobin- carries oxygen around the body in red blood cells, known as a conjugated protein as it has a non protein group attached (prosthetic group-haem) has 4 in each polypeptide chain which has iron in it which oxygen binds too
insulin-hormone secreted by pancreas and helps to regulate blood glucose level, 2 polypeptide bonds held by disulphide bonds
amylase-enzyme that catalyses the breakdown of starch in the digestive system
what is the structure and properties of a fibrous protein?
tough and rod shaped, unreactive
3 fibrous proteins and their functions
collagen-connective tissues of animals, strong
keratin-skin, hair, nails. flexible or hard and tough
elastin-elastic connective tissue such as skin and large blood vessels, allows tissues to return to their original shape after being stretched
name 5 cations
calcium (ca2+)
sodium (na2+)
potassium (k+)
hydrogen (H+)
ammonium (NH4+)
can some people help amie
name 5 anions
nitrate (no3-)
hydrogen carbonate (HCO3-)
chloride (cl-)
phosphate (po43-)
hydroxide (oh-)
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what is the test for sugars
benedict’s test
reducing sugars-add benedict’s reagent (blue) to sample and heat it in water bath to boil, if its positive a coloured precipitate forms (yellow-orange-red). the higher the conc= the further colour change, filter and weigh the precipitate
non reducing sugars-new sample, add dilute HCL and carefully heat in water bath, neutralise with sodium hydrogen carbonate then carry out benedict’s test, coloured precipitate forms
test for starch
iodine test
add iodine dissolved in potassium iodide solution
browny orange to blue black
test for proteins
biuret test
add few drops of sodium hydroxide to make test solution alkaline, add copper sulfate solution
blue to purple
test for lipids
emulsion test
shake test with ethanol for a min then pour solution into water
clear to milky
more milky=more lipid
what is colorimetry used to determine?
concentration of a glucose solution
what are biosensors?
a device that uses a biological molecule such as an enzyme to detect a chemical. the biological molecule produces a signal which is converted into an electrical signal by a transducer. the electrical signal is then processed and can be used to work out other information
what is a mobile phase?
a liquid solvent such as ethanol or water
where the molecules can move
what is a stationary phase?
paper C-piece of chromatography paper
TLC-layer of solid, silica gel,glass or plastic plate
where the molecules cant move
what is a chromatogram?
the patterns of spots u end up with in paper C
RF value equation
distance travelled by solute/distance travelled by solvent
