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Biological molecules Flashcards

Carbohydrates

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1
Q

What is a polymer?

A

Made from lots of monomers bonded together

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2
Q

What is a monomer?

A

smaller units which can create larger molecules

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3
Q

What are polymers of glucose and nucleotides?

A

Glucose - starch, glycogen and cellulose are its polymers

Nucleotides - DNA and RNA are its polymers

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3
Q

What are monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides?

A

Monosaccharides - carbohydrates which are monomers (eg. glucose, fructose and galactose)

Disaccharides - carbohydrates which consist of two monomers - (eg sucrose, lactose, maltose)

Polysaccharides - carbohydrates which are polymers (eg. starch, glycogen, cellulose)

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4
Q

What are the two isomers of glucose?

A

Alpha glucose and beta glucose

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5
Q

What are features of disaccharides? and how are they formed?

A

Made from two monosaccharides and joined together by glycosidic bond. They are formed via condensation reactions

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6
Q

What are examples of disaccharide formations?

A

Glucose + glucose -> maltose + water

Glucose + galactose -> lactose + water

Glucose + fructose -> sucrose + water

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7
Q

How is starch formed?

A

Formed via condensation reactions between many glucose monomers (amylose and amylopectin)

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8
Q

Where is starch found and what is its function?

A
  1. Found in plant cells
  2. Insoluble store of glucose
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9
Q

What bond is formed when amylose undergoes condensation reaction?

A

1-4 glycosidic bond

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10
Q

How is glycogen formed? And where is it found?

A

Glycogen forms by many condensation reactions between alpha glucose. It is found in muscle and liver cells

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11
Q

What is function of glycogen?

A

It is an insoluble source of glucose.

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12
Q

How is cellulose formed?

A

By many condensation reactions between beta glucose via 1-4 glycosidic bonds

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13
Q

What is the function of cellulose and where is it found?

A

Cellulose provides strength to plant cell walls and is found in cell walls of plants

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14
Q

What are fibrils?

A

Long straight chains which lie parallel and are held together by hydrogen bonds

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15
Q

How does structure of starch help function?

A

Helix is compact to fit a lot of glucose in small spaces; Branched structure increases surface area allowing for rapid hydrolysis back to glucose; Insoluble so doesn’t affect water potential

16
Q

How does structure of glycogen help function?

A

Branched structure increases surface area allowing for rapid hydrolysis back to glucose. Insoluble so doesn’t affect water potential

17
Q

How does structure of cellulose help function?

A

Insoluble in water so does not affect water potential

Many hydrogen bonds provide strength

18
Q

What are the two types of lipids and what do they consist of?

A

Triglycerides - consist of 3 fatty acid molecules and 1 glycerol molecule; Phospholipids - consist of one glycerol molecule, 2 fatty acid molecules and a phosphate group - attached to the glycerol

19
Q

What happens when the two fatty acid molecules bond to a glycerol molecule (phospholipid)?

A

Two fatty acids bond to glycerol molecule via condensation reaction leading to two ester bonds

20
Q

How are triglycerides formed?

A

Formed via condensation reaction between molecules, forming an ester bond

21
Q

What is emulsion test for lipids?

A
  1. Take sample and dissolve in ethanol
  2. Add distilled water
  3. If lipid is present a white emulsion forms
22
Q

What are properties of triglycerides?

A
  1. Large ratio between number of carbon-hydrogen bonds to the number of carbon atoms, so a lot of energy is stored. 2. High ratio of hydrogen to oxygen atoms, so triglycerides can be a metabolic water source and release water when oxidised. 3. Triglycerides are insoluble so do not affect water potential. 4. Triglycerides have a low mass meaning they do not affect mass and prevent movement.
23
Q

What are properties of phospholipids?

A
  1. Hydrophilic head of a phospholipid can attract water as it is charged - repels fats. 2. Hydrophilic tail (fatty acid chain) is not charged and mixes with fats but repels lipids. 3. Form phospholipid bilayer membrane structure which makes up plasma membrane around cells
24
Q

What happens when two amino acids join via a condensation reaction?

A

A peptide bond is formed and a water molecule is released

25
Q

What are two amino acids joined called?

A

A dipeptide

26
Q

What are primary and secondary structures of a protein?

A
27
Q

What are tertiary and quaternary structures of a protein?

A

Tertiary structure: Further folding of secondary structure which forms a unique 3D shape - Held together by ionic, hydrogen and disulphide bonds.

Quaternary structure: protein made up of one polypeptide chain

If a protein denatures, ionic and hydrogen bonds in secondary and tertiary structures break - so unique shape is lost

28
Q

What is benedict’s test of reducing sugars?

A
  1. Add benedict’s reagent to test tube
  2. Heat
  3. Colour change from blue to brick red (more red the more concentration of reducing sugar)
29
Q

What is test for non reducing sugars:

A
  1. Do benedict’s test and stays negative
  2. Boil with acid then neutralise with alkali
  3. Heat with benedict’s and it becomes red/orange
30
Q

What is the test for starch?

A
  1. Add a few drops of iodine to sample
  2. If starch is present colour will change from brown to blue black
31
Q

What is biuret test?

A
  1. Add sample to distilled water and biuret solution
  2. Shake solution
  3. Colour change from blue to purple
32
Q

Why is water a dipolar molecule?

A

Water is slightly positive and slightly negative, as hydrogen atoms are slightly positive and oxygen atoms are slightly negative

33
Q

What are five key properties of water?

A

It is a metabolite - important in condensation and hydrolysis reactions

Important solvent for reactions to occur

High heat capacity which buffers temperature

Has large latent heat of vaporisation - provides cooling effect with loss of water via evaporation

Strong cohesion between molecules supports water columns

34
Q

Why is water a good solvent?

A

Contains slightly positive and negative charges meaning negative and positive ions are attracted to water - hydrophilic

35
Q

What is a dipole?

A

An unequal distribution of charges

36
Q
A

Biology (2 decks)

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