Biological Molecules Flashcards
What are biological molecules?
Biological molecules are molecules that are present in organisms that are essential to biological processes.
What are some examples of biological processes?
Cell division and development
What are the four major classes of biological molecules?
Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. These molecules may be produced by the organisms or obtained through their nutrition.
What are nutrients?
Nutrients are chemical substances in food that provide energy and materials needed by the body. Nutrients can grow and repair cells and provide energy.
How can nutrients be classified and describe them?
Nutrients can be classified into organic (biological molecules derived from living things) or inorganic (not derived from living things e.g. water, mineral salts)
What is a carbohydrate?
A carbohydrate are organic molecules made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
What are the three functions of carbohydrates?
To provide energy for cellular activities 1g carbs release about 17kJ
To form supporting structures (e.g. cell wall) cellulose of plant cell walls
To form nucleic acids (e.g. DNA)
For conversion into other organic compounds as excess sugar can be converted to fat
What is the general formula for carbohydrates?
CnH2mOm
What is the ratio of hydrogen atoms to the oxygen atoms in carbohydrates?
2:1
What are the three types of carbohydrates?
Monosaccharides (Single sugars)
Disaccharides (double sugars)
Polysaccharides (complex sugars)
What is the main substrate (ingredient) for ATP generation in cells?
Glucose
Too much carbohydrate is bad. True of false?
True as carbohydrates contain sugar. Generally, anything that is too much in excess is bad.
What are some examples of carbohydrates?
Rice, bread, noodles, potato, bananas
What are some examples of proteins?
Generally, meats, nuts and eggs
What are some examples of lipids (includes fats, vitamins)?
Oil, butter, margarine,
A,B,C,D,E,K vitamin
Fruits, carrot
What are some examples of water?
Fluids, drinks and water.
What is an isomers?
Isomers are substances that have the same chemical formula but different structural formula and arrangement of bonding is different.
What is an example of an isomer?
C4H10 you can try to draw two different structural formula in notability
What are the two types of isomers?
There is a straight linear molecule and a branch molecule. A straight linear molecule means that the element for e.g. C4 can be connected with just one stroke whereas a branch molecule cannot be connected in one stroke.
What are the three simple sugars that you have learnt?
Glucose, Fructose and galactose
What is the chemical formula of simple sugar?
C6H1206
What are two facts of simple sugars ?
Simple sugars are small molecules which cannot be further digested and can pass through plasma membrane. All simple sugars are reducing sugars.
What are the three double sugars?
Maltose, sucrose and lactose.
What is the chemical formula of double sugars?
C12H22011
What is the difference between maltose, lactose and sucrose?
Maltose and lactose are reducing sugars while sucrose is a non-reducing sugar.
What is a condensation reaction?
A condensation reaction is that double sugars are produced when two simple sugars join.
Two simple substances react and combine together to form a larger molecule and a H2O molecule is lost.
What are the three reactions between simple sugars and double sugars? (During condensation)
Glucose + Glucose —> Maltose + Water
Glucose +Fructose—> Sucrose + Water
Glucose + Galactose—> Lactose + Water
Generally:
C6H12O6 + C6H12O6 —>C12H22O11 +H2O
What is hydrolysis and the three reactions between double sugar and simple sugar?
A double sugar can be split into two simple sugars.
Maltose + Water—> Glucose +Glucose
Sucrose +Water—> Glucose +Fructose
C12H22O11 +H2O —> C6H12O6 + C6H12O6
When you put sucrose (table sugar) into water, would glucose and fructose be produced?
No, this is because chemical reaction needs a certain condition (temp, r.t.p. , etc)
That is why there are enzymes in order to speed up chemical processes
One example of enzymes is sucrase.
What are the examples of reducing sugars?
All simple sugars (glucose, fructose and galactose) and double sugars (except sucrose) are reducing sugars.
How can the presence of reducing sugars be tested?
The presence of reducing sugars can be tested with Benedict’s test.
What are the procedures for the Benedict’s test?
- If solid, grind the food sample with distilled water using a mortar and pestle before filtering the mixture to obtain the filtrate.
- In a test tube, add an equal volume of Benedict’s reagent to 2cm cube of the filtrate or liquid food sample
- Shake the mixture
- Heat a beaker of water until it boils
- Leave test tube(s) in boiling water bath for 2 minutes.
For Benedict’s test, if you observe that the solution remained blue, what can you conclude?
Reducing sugar is not present
What are the two things in a result?
Observation and conclusion
For Benedict’s test, if you observe that green precipitate is formed, what can you conclude?
Traces of reducing sugar present
For Benedict’s test, if you observe that yellow or orange precipitate formed, what can you conclude?
Moderate amount of reducing sugar present
For Benedict’s test, if you observe that brick-red precipitate formed, what can you conclude?
Large amount of reducing sugar present
What are complex sugars?
Complex sugars are complex carbohydrates that are made up of many single sugar molecules combined by condensation reactions.
What are the three complex carbohydrates/sugars?
Starch, Glycogen, Cellulose
How are complex sugars made up of?
Complex sugars are made up of numerous glucose molecules which are linked in different ways. These different structures result in different properties.
What are the functions of glycogen?
Storage form of carbohydrates in animals.
Easily digested to glucose to provide energy when needed
What are the structure and properties of Glycogen?
Branched macromolecule that is compact (allowing the storage of more glucose monomers per unit volume)
The glucose molecules are arranged in short helical chains with many branches so that they are compact.
Where is/are the occurrence of glycogen?
Stored in liver and muscles of animals
What is/are the function of starch?
Storage form of carbohydrates in plants
Easily digested to glucose to provide energy when needed
What is/are the structure and properties of starch?
Branched macromolecule that is compact (allowing the storage of more glucose monomers per unit volume)
The glucose molecules are joined together in long helical chains with branches, so that they are compact.
What is the occurrence of starch?
Found in storage organs of plants e.g. potato tubers
What is the function of cellulose?
Structural form of carbohydrates to provide cell walls with mechanical strength and support, to protect plant cells Cannot be digested by humans
What is/are the structure and properties of cellulose?
Unbranched macromolecule.
The glucose molecules are arranged in long straight chains, giving them high tensile strength.
Where is the occurrence of cellulose?
Present in cell walls of plants