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A level Biology OCR A > Biological Molecules > Flashcards

Biological Molecules Flashcards

1
Q

What is the significance of water’s polar nature?

A

Water’s polar nature allows it to form hydrogen bonds, which are crucial for its properties.

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2
Q

How does water provide habitats?

A

Water provides habitats for various organisms, such as rivers, lakes, and seas.

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3
Q

What role does water play in chemical reactions?

A

Water acts as a solvent, facilitating chemical reactions by dissolving solutes.

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4
Q

Why is water considered a stable medium for chemical reactions?

A

Water is a stable medium because it can form covalent bonds and has a greater pull on electrons.

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5
Q

What is the effect of ice on water bodies?

A

Ice insulates the water below, allowing life to survive in colder environments.

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6
Q

What does water’s ability to become a solvent imply?

A

Water’s ability to become a solvent implies it can dissolve more substances due to its molecular structure.

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7
Q

What is the importance of water’s density?

A

Water’s density allows ice to float on top, which helps insulate the water below.

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8
Q

What is the ability of water molecules to resist external forces?

A

Water molecules exhibit surface tension, allowing them to resist external forces.

This is due to the hydrogen bonds between water molecules.

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9
Q

What helps water molecules maintain their structure?

A

Hydrogen bonds between water molecules help maintain their structure.

These bonds allow water to have unique properties.

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10
Q

What is the significance of high specific heat in water?

A

Water has a high specific heat, meaning it can absorb a lot of heat without a significant change in temperature.

This property helps regulate temperatures in the environment.

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11
Q

How does water contribute to temperature regulation in organisms?

A

Water helps organisms cool down by absorbing heat, which is essential for maintaining stable temperatures.

This is particularly important for processes like sweating.

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12
Q

What role does water play in vascular tissues?

A

Water is crucial for vascular tissues as it helps transport nutrients and maintain structure.

This is vital for plant health and growth.

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13
Q

What happens to water molecules at the surface?

A

Water molecules at the surface experience different forces compared to those beneath, contributing to surface tension.

This phenomenon allows some insects to walk on water.

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14
Q

What is condensation reaction?

A

Occurs when two molecules are joined together by the removal of water

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15
Q

What is hydrolysis reaction?

A

Occurs when the bond holding two molecules breaks by the addition of water.

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16
Q

What are the building blocks of proteins?

A

Amino acids

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17
Q

What are the two types of nucleic acids?

A

DNA and RNA

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18
Q

What are monosaccharides?

A

Simple sugars

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19
Q

What are nucleotides?

A

Building blocks of nucleic acids

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20
Q

What are peptides?

A

Short chains of amino acids

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21
Q

What is monosaccharide?

A

A monomer from which larger carbohydrates are made.

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22
Q

What are the different type of monosaccharide. And how do we differentiate them?

A

Alpha glucose - has both OH groups on the opposite side of the oxygen.

Beta dlucose - has one OH group on the same side as the oxyhen and the other OH group on the opposite side.

(these are examples of hexose monosaccharide)

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23
Q

What are the pentose monosaccharide we need to know about?

A

Fructose /Ribose

this has five carbon atoms

24
Q

What is a diasaccharide?

A

When two monosaccharide join together through condensation reaction

The bond between the monosacharide is Alpha - 1,4 - glycosidic bond

  • Alpha glucose + Alpha glucose = maltose
  • Alpha glucose + fructose = sucrose
  • Alpha glucose + Galactose = lactose
25
Q

hWhat is a polysaccharide?

A

Are formed from many monosaccharide joined together by glycosidic bonds.

E.g. Amylose, amylopectin, glycogen, cellulose.

26
Q

How does beta glucose affect the structure of polysaccharide?

A

If there are only beta - 1,4 - glycosidic bonds then the polysaccharide will be a straight chain.

E.g Cellulose.

27
Q

How does alpha glucose affect the structure of polysaccharide?

A

If there are only alpha 1,4 glycosidic bonds then the polysaccharide will be coiled.

If there are alpha 1,4 glycosidic bonds and alpha 1,6 glycosidic bonds then the polysaccharide will be branched and colied.

E.g Amylose, Glycogen and Amylopectin.

28
Q

What is the structure of amylose?

A

It has alpha 1,4 glycosidic. It coils into a spiral shap, with hyrdogen bonds holding the spiral in place. Hydroxyl groups on carbon two are situated on the inside of the coil. Making amylose less soluble and allowing the hydrogen bonds to maintain the structure.

29
Q

What is amylopectin?

A

Amylopectin has both alpha 1,4 glycosidic bonds and 1-6 glycosidic bonds this means that its branched and coiled. However it has more alpha 1,4 glycosidc bonds so its more coiled than branched. They are also held by hydrogen bonds.

30
Q

What is the structure of glycogen?

A

It is similar to amylopectin but has more alpha 1,6 glycosidic bonds. Therefor it has more braches so it can release more energy.The branches also help with glycogen being more compact.

31
Q

Whta is the structure of cellulose?

A

cellulose has beta 1,4 glycosidic bonds so cellulose chains tend to be straight.. Therefore they can be arranged very closely, allowing hydrogen bonds to form with the chain.

the cellulose chains are grouped into microfibril they are grouped into macrofibril and they are grouped into make cell wall.

32
Q

What are the properties of amylose and amylopectin?

A

Found in dense granules and can be broken doen by hrydrolysis to release glucose. It is less soluble than so will not affect the concentration of the cytoplasm and osmosis.

33
Q

what are the properties of glycogen?

A

Found as dense granules and can be broken down by hydrolysis to release energy. It is less soluble so doesn’t affect osmosis.

34
Q

What are the properties of cellulose?

A

Froms plant cell walls is tough due to hydrogen bonds between chains and the criscross nature of the microfibril. They provide the cell wall with high tensile strength, preventing the plant cell from bursting. Spaces between the macrofibril allow water and ions to pass through so making cell wall permable.

35
Q

What is a fatty acid?

A

It is a hydrocarbon chain attached to a carboxyl group.

Often represented as RCOOH.

36
Q

What is a trigyceride?

A

When three fatty acids join to one glycerol molecule. They are joined by ester bonds through condensation reactions.

Ester bonds are broken by hydolysis reaction.

37
Q

What are phospholipids?

A

When one triglyceride is attached to a phosphate group. It forms a head ( where phosphate group is present) and a tail ( where hydrocarbon chain is present). The head is hydrophoilic and the tail is hydophobic.

38
Q

What are staurated and unsaturated fatty acids.

A

When a fatty acid has no carbon to carbon double bond it is considered to be a saturated fatty acid. When a fatty acid has a carbon to carbon double bond it is considered to be a unsaturated fatty acid. When a fatty acid has more than one double bond it is called a polyunsaturated fatty acid.

39
Q

What are thew properties of tryglycerides?

Polarity

A

They are non-polar as their non-polar region is larger. This leads tryiglycertides to be insoluble in water. This is ecplained to be hydrophobic molecule.

40
Q

What are the function of Triygyceride

A

It is a energy store. They release energy during respiration. They are also insoluble ( high C and H: O ratio)so they dont affect the water potential of cell. Used by animals for insulation as its a large moleucle, provides with byogancy in organisms and protection to vital organs.

41
Q

What are the properties of triglyceride?

Saturated and unsaturated fatty acid.

A

Saturated fatty acid have straight parralell hydrocarbon hains. As a result, they dont take a lot of space , are tightly packed together forming solid block at room temperature. Unsatturated fatty acid they cannot be held tightly together so are liquid at room temperature.

42
Q

What are the properties of phosphlipids?

A

Phospholipds have both a polar and non-polar reigon. The head of the phospholipd is polar . The tail of the phospholipids is non-polar. Thuis can form a micelle or a bilayer.

43
Q

What is the fuction of the phospolipids?

A

They can form the membrane bilayer = This makes them selectively permeable. The bilayer controles what is taken in and what is removed out. Phospholipids give felxibilty to cells surface membrane, whenphospholipd have unsaturated fatty acids gaps are formed between each phosphilipids causing the membrane to tilt side to side = They also enable cell recognition.

44
Q

What is the fucntion of Cholesterol?

A

They are small and hydrophobic so is in membrane regulating fulidity.

45
Q

What is the general structure of an amino acid?

A

Amino acids are monomers that make up the proteins.

46
Q

How is a peptide bond formed, where does it form and what does it make?

A

A peptide bond is formed between amino acids through condensation reaction. When many amino acids are held by peptide bonds it forms polypetide chain.

Two amino acids form dipeptide.

47
Q

How are peptide bonds broken?

A

Through hydrolysis reaction.

48
Q

What is the primary structure of proteins?

A

It is the sequence of amino acid in polypeptide chains.
Type of bonding = peptide bond

Two polypetide have different primary structure if they have:- the same amino acid in different order or different amino acid.

49
Q

What is the secondary structure of proteins

A

Its the folding or twisting of the polypeptide chain.
Type of bond is hydrogen bond between the prtide groups. Between N-H and C=O. This secondary structure is either a alpha helix or a beta pleated sheet.

50
Q

What is the tertiary structure of a protein.

A

Folding of the whole polypetide into a 3D structure.
Type of bonds = inoic, hydrogen and disulfide bonds. These bonds form between side groups.

51
Q

What is the quanternary structure?

A

It is the shape we get when two or more polypetide chain join together.
(Two or more tertiary sturctures )

52
Q

What is the structure of Golbular proteins?

A

They are protein that are ball shaped (sphrical). These are called globular protein.

53
Q

What is the function of Globular protein?

A

They contain hydrophilic side groups on their outside so are soluble in water. This allows them to take various physiological or metabolic functions.

E.g. Insulin and protase.

Insulin is able to diffuse throuhgh cells and blood vesseles as a result of globular proteins.

54
Q

What is conjugated protein?

A

A phosthetic group is called a conjugated protein.

55
Q

What is the structure and function of fibrous proteins?

A
56
Q
A

A level Biology OCR A (4 decks)

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