biological molecules Flashcards
what is a condensation reaction?
joins two molecules together with the formation of a chemical bond and involves the elimination of a molecule of water.
what is a hydrolysis reaction?
breaks a chemical bond between two molecules and involves the use of a water molecule.
what monomers are used to make larger carbohydrates? name a few and give their symbol form and why they all have the same.
monosaccharides- glucose, galactose and fructose. C6h12o6 for all (they are isomers of each other)
what is a glycosidic bond and how is it formed?
A condensation reaction between two monosaccharides
what is formed by the condensation of two monosaccharides? give 3 examples and what monosaccharides they’re made from.
disaccharides. sucrose (glucose+fructose), maltose (glucose+glucose), lactose (glucose+galactose)
what ratio does hydrogen and oxygen come in, in carbohydrates? give an example
2:1 eg C12H22O11 (can’t really tell how many carbs there will be)
what are polysaccharides? give examples
polymers of monosaccharides e.g. starch, glycogen, cellulose
how would you test for reducing sugars? (any sugar that is capable of acting as a reducing agent)
1) crush up food if needed
2) Add Benedict’s solution
3) heat the solution
4) a positive solution goes from green-yellow-orange-red (red being s strong amount of sugar present)
how does the Benedict’s test work? (2)
the reducing sugar gives an electron to the blue Cu2+ ions making them into red Cu+ ions.
the more reducing the sugar, the more precipitate forms/greater the change.
what are optical isomers?
two or more forms of a compound which have the same structure but are mirror images of each other and typically differ in optical activity
even though a-glucose and b-glucose are optical isomers of each other, they behave differently in the body, why?
the active sites of the enzymes may only be a complementary shape to one version of glucose
what polymers do a-glucose form?
starch and glycogen
what polymers do b-glucose form?
cellulose
in the condensation reaction between glucose+glucose (C6H12O6) why is the formula for maltose C6H22O11
Because 2 hydrogens and 1 oxygen is lost to the water molecule which is also created in the reaction.
what is the main role of starch?
energy storage
how is the structure of starch suited to its main role/function?
1) insoluble- doesn’t affect the movement of water by osmosis
2) compact- allows a lot of carbohydrate to be stored in a small space
3) large and insoluble- doesn’t diffuse out of cells
4) can be hydrolysed- produces a-glucose which is easily transported and readily used in respiration
what is starch? (3)
1) a polysaccharide found in plants in the form of small grains
2) large amounts occur in seeds/storage organs
3) used to store carbohydrates in plant cells
are the chains of glucose in starch branched or unbranched?
can be both.
the unbranched chain will coil up into a helix which makes the molecule compact
what is glycogen? (2)
1) found in animals and bacteria
2) used to store carbohydrates in animals and is stored as small granules mainly in the muscles and liver
how is the structure of glycogen suited to its function?
1) it is insoluble so doesn’t affect the movement of water into the cell by osmosis
2) insoluble- doesn’t diffuse out of cells
3) compact-allows a lot of carbohydrate to stored in a small space
4) more highly branched than starch so has more ends which can be acted on simultaneously by enzymes, therefore it is more rapidly hydrolysed/broken down to produce glucose for respiration
–> important bc animals have a higher metabolic and respiratory rate
what is cellulose? (4)
1) major component of plant cell wall
2) provides rigidity to the plant cell
3) prevents cell from bursting as water enters it by osmosis (exerts an inward pressure)
4) forms dietary fibre
how is the structure of cellulose suited to its function?
1) made up of b-glucose so forms straight, long unbranched chains which run parallel to each other
2) This allows hydrogen bonds to cross link between neighbouring chains adding collective strength
3) these molecules are grouped to form microfibrils which group to form fibres, providing more strength
what elements are triglycerides made of?
carbon, hydrogen and only a little oxygen
The R-group of a fatty acid (RCOOH) may be saturated or unsaturated, what does this mean?
In saturated fatty acids, all the carbon atoms are connected to other C atoms by single bonds
unsaturated fatty acids have one or more double bonds and consequently fewer hydrogens
what are the features of a saturated fatty acid?
- stronger intermolecular forces
- solid at RT
- higher melting points
- increase risk of atherosclerosis
What is the role of hydrochloric acid in a test for non-reducing sugar?
acidic environment is necessary for breaking down the disaccharides into monosaccharides
what is a peptide bond?
forms between two amino acids in a condensation reaction
what is a hydrogen bond in proteins?
the weak interaction between side chains of amino acids
what is an ionic bond in proteins?
forms between an amino acid with a positive charge and an amino acid with a negative charge
what is a disulfide bridge?
forms between sulfurs in side chains of amino acids
what is the primary structure of proteins?
the sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain joined by peptide bonds which is coded for by the order of bases in a DNA gene
what is the secondary structure of proteins?
the polypeptide folds up into basic shapes (alpha helix, beta sheet, alpha turns)
what is the tertiary structure of proteins?
the polypeptide secondary structures folds up further to give an overall 3-dimensional shape
what is the quaternary structure of proteins? (2)
1) several polypeptide chains
2) they have non-protein prosthetic groups embedded in the protein to help it carry out its function eg haem group
what is a competitive inhibitor?
a molecule with a similar shape to a substrate, which reduces an enzyme’s effectiveness
what is a non competitive inhibitor?
a molecule that reduces an enzyme’s effectiveness without blocking the active site
What is the amount of energy needed to start a reaction called?
activation energy
Which level of protein structure has the most influence on the shape of a protein?
tertiary
what is a phospholipid?
2 fatty acids and 1 phosphate bonded to a glycerol molecule
describe the emulsion test for lipids
1) crush up food if needed
2) add ethanol and shake
3) add water and shake
4) +ve test gives white emulsion
how is the structure of a phospholipid related its properties?
1) polar - in aqueous environments they can form a phospholipid bilayer
2) structure allows them to form glycolipids with carbohydrates - important on the cell surface membrane for cell recognition
how is the structure of a triglyceride related to its properties?
1) high ratio of energy storing carbon-hydrogen bonds to carbon atoms -excellent energy store
2) low mass to energy ratio- good storage molecule as a lot can be stored in a small volume
3) large and non polar- insoluble in water, storage doesn’t affect water potential of cells
what is the difference between dipeptides and polypeptides?
-Dipeptides are formed by the condensation of two amino acids.
-Polypeptides are formed by the condensation of many amino acids.
what are functional proteins? (3) give examples
1) functional proteins possess a biological activity
2) involved in the biological function of a living organism.
3) A functional protein may contain one or more polypeptides.
Eg: Haemoglobin, Insulin, and all the enzymes.
what does the role of hydrogen bonds, ionic bonds and disulfide bridges have in the structure of proteins?
1) these bonds are what hold the R groups/ side chains of amino acids together
2) determine the overall 3D shape of the protein
3) contribute to the folding process of the tertiary structure
how is the primary structure of proteins made?
assembled by ribosomes on the Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
how will a mutation to a DNA gene affect an enzyme’s functioning?
1) mutation changes the order of nucleotide bases in the gene
2) a different chain of amino acids is coded for which will have different R groups/ side chains
3) This causes different hydrogen bonds to form
4) So the tertiary structure of the protein is also different
5) This causes the active site of the enzyme to be the wrong shape to fit the substrate
what are the basic shapes (alpha helix, beta sheet, alpha turn) in the secondary structure held together by?
by hydrogen bonds between the C=O of one of the peptide bonds and the N-H of a nearby peptide bond
what is the 3D shape of the tertiary structure of proteins held together by?
bonds between the R groups
- can be hydrogen bonds, ionic bonds or disulfide bridges
what is tertiary structure important for? (3)
the correct shape of:
1) enzymes to bind to substrates
2) antibodies to bind to antigens
3) hormone receptors to bind to hormones
describe the biuret test for proteins
1) crush up food if needed
2) add biuret’s reagent
3) +ve result turns from blue to purple
-ve stays blue
name 6 proteins and their functions
1) haemoglobin - loads with oxygen in the alveoli and unloads oxygen in respiring tiessues
2) amylase- catalyses the hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds in starch
3) elastin- elastic protein that allows arteries to stretch and recoil
4) CFTR- Cl- ion channel protein which allows Cl- ions across the cell membrane
5) insulin receptor- binds to insulin, causing cells to take up glucose for storage as glycogen
6) Keratin- tough, hard fibrous protein in nails, skin and hair