Biological Molecules Flashcards
1
Q
organic definition
A
relating to or belonging to the class of chemical compounds having a carbon basis
2
Q
atom definition
A
the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element
3
Q
macromolecule definition
A
a very large molecule made up of smaller subunits. e.g. polysaccharides, nucleic acids and proteins
4
Q
oxidation definition
A
chemical reaction involving the transfer of electrons from one reactant to another
5
Q
reduction definition
A
chemical reaction involving transfer of electrons from one reactant to another
6
Q
covalent definition
A
a chemical bond formed by the sharing electrons between two atoms
7
Q
catabolic defintion
A
reactions that involve breaking larger molecules into smaller ones
8
Q
anabolic defintion
A
reactions that involve building smaller molecules into larger ones
9
Q
molecule definition
A
the smallest unit of a compound that retains the chemical and physical properties of the compound
10
Q
polymer definition
A
long chained molecules formed by combining many smaller molecules into a regular pattern
11
Q
what is a condensation reaction?
A
a reaction in which a small molecule, usually water, is removed in the formation of a new bond
12
Q
what is a hydrolysis reaction?
A
a reaction where water is used to break down a compound
13
Q
carboxylase definition
A
the enzyme that aids the introduction of a carboxyl group in a substrate, often carbon dioxide
14
Q
dehydrogenase definition
A
the enzyme that aids the introduction of hydrogen in a substrate
15
Q
decarboxylase definition
A
the enzyme that aids the removal of a carboxyl group in a substrate
16
Q
what substances suffix is -ase?
A
enzymes
17
Q
what substances suffix is -ose?
A
sugar
18
Q
metabolism definition
A
the total of all the biochemical reactions taking place in an organisms cells
19
Q
monomer definition
A
a small molecule that is one of the units bonded together to form a polymer
20
Q
what are proteins used for?
A
structure, transport, enzymes, antibodies and most hormones
21
Q
what are lipids used for?
A
membranes, energy supply, thermal insulation and protective layers
22
Q
what are carbs used for?
A
energy storage and supply, structure in some organisms
23
Q
what is biochemistry?
A
the chemical reactions involving biological molecules
24
Q
what are the four elements all living things are composed of?
A
- carbon
- oxygen
- hydrogen
- nitrogen
25
how many covalent bonds can carbon make?
4
26
how many bonds can nitrogen form?
3
27
how many bonds can oxygen form?
2
28
how many bonds can hydrogen form?
1
29
what are the biological molecules?
- carbohydrates
- lipids
- proteins
- nucleic acids
30
what elements are carbohydrates made of?
carbon, hydrogen and oxygen (CHO)
31
what elements are lipids composed of?
carbon, hydrogen and oxygen (CHO)
32
what elements are proteins composed of?
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sometimes sulphur (CHONS)
33
what elements are nucleic acids composed of?
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorous (CHONP)
34
what are the chemical groups that bond to carbon?
- hydroxyl (-OH)
- carboxyl (-COOH)
- amine (-NH2)
35
do condensation reactions release or use a water molecule?
release
36
do hydrolysis reactions release or use a water molecule?
use
37
what bonds form between oxygen and hydrogen in a water molecule?
covalent
38
why doesn't the oxygen and hydrogen in a water molecule have equal charges?
the electrons in the covalent bonds are not shared equally , oxygen takes a greater share so is slightly negative, leaving hydrogen slightly positive
39
what overall charge does a water molecule have?
neutral
40
what type of molecule is water overall?
a polar molecule
41
what charge is oxygen in water?
delta negative
42
what charge is hydrogen in water?
delta positive
43
where do hydrogen bonds form in relation to water?
between the positive and negative regions of separate water molecules
44
are hydrogen bonds weak or strong?
they are weak individually but strong in high numbers
45
what are some properties of water?
- cohesion
- adhesion
- high specific heat capacity
- high latent heat of vaporization
- density
- solvent
46
what is the meaning of cohesion in water?
it is the attraction between particles of the same substance which results in surface tension
47
why does water have a greater surface tension than most other liquids?
because the hydrogen bonds among the surface water molecules resist stretching or breaking the surface
48
why is cohesion in water important for life?
it allows water to move up the xylem and some animals to remain on the surface
49
what is the meaning of adhesion?
the attraction between two different substances (water sticking to other surfaces)
50
how does adhesion of water work?
water will make hydrogen bonds with other surfaces
51
how is adhesion important for life?
- allows water to move up the xylem
- hold onto plant leaves
- attach to spider webs
52
what is the meaning of specific heat capacity?
the amount of heat that must be absorbed or lost for 1kg of substance to change in temperature by 1 degree
53
how much of the world is covered in water?
3/4
54
how is high specific heat capacity in water important for life?
- prevention of temperature fluctuations that are outside the range suitable for life
- maintains a stable marine environment as it means the ocean can absorb or release large amounts of heat energy without changing temperature
55
what is the meaning of latent heat of vaporization?
the amount of energy required to convert 1kg of substance from a liquid to gas
56
how is water having a high latent heat of vaporization important for life?
- helps to moderate our climate
- stops organisms overheating as it keeps the water on earth as liquid
57
water is ______ dense as a solid?
less
58
water has hydrogen bonds that are constantly being _____ and ____________?
broken and reformed
59
what type of structure does ice form?
forms a crystal like lattice where molecules are fixed at a set distance
60
why is water being dense important for life?
- prevents water from freezing from the bottom
- ice forms on the surface first which creates insulation
- makes transitions between seasons less abrupt
61
why is water being a solvent important for life?
- transportation
- so reactions can occur
62
what are the functions of carbohydrates?
- respiratory substrate- source of energy
- for storage
- source of starch in plants
63
what are some structures that carbohydrates are present in?
- plant cell walls
- deoxyribose and ribose nucleic acids
64
how many carbon atoms does ribose have?
5
65
see IRL card for ribose structure
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66
how many carbon atoms does glucose have?
6
67
how many carbon atoms does fructose have?
6
68
what are the three groups of carbohydrates?
- monosaccharides
- disaccharides
- polysaccharides
69
what are some examples of monosaccharides?
glucose, fructose, ribose
70
what types of sugars are monosaccharides?
simple sugars
71
what types of sugars are disaccharides?
double sugars
72
what are disaccharides formed from?
two monosaccharides
73
what are polysaccharides formed from?
hundreds of monosaccharides
74
what is an example of triose?
glyceraldehyde
75
what are some examples of pentose?
- ribose
- deoxyribose
76
what are some examples of hexose?
- glucose
- fructose
77
how many carbon atoms does triose have?
3
78
how many carbon atoms does pentose have?
5
79
how many carbon atoms does hexose have?
6
80
what are the three main groups of monosaccharides?
- triose
- pentose
- hexose
81
what are the properties of disaccharides?
sweet and soluble
82
what are the groups of disaccharides?
- maltose
- lactose
- sucrose
83
what are the monomers of maltose?
two alpha glucoses
84
what are the monomers of lactose?
glucose and galactose
85
what are the monomers of sucrose?
glucose and fructose
86
how do disaccharides form?
through a condensation reaction
87
where does the condensation reaction form between two monosaccharides?
between the hydroxyl groups
88
what type of bond is formed between the hydroxyl groups of two monosaccharides?
1,4 glycosidic
89
how can disaccharides such as maltose be broken down into its monomers?
by the addition of water
90
what are the groups of polypeptides?
- amylose
- amylopectin
- cellulose
- glycogen
91
what is the monomer of amylose?
alpha glucose
92
what is the monomer of cellulose?
beta glucose
93
what is the monomer of amylopectin?
alpha glucose
94
what is the monomer of glycogen?
alpha glucose
95
what type of bonds form in glycogen?
alpha glucose 1,6 linkages
96
what type of bonds form in amylose?
alpha glucose 1,4
97
what type of bonds form in amylopectin?
branches start with 1,6 glycosidic linkages and other bonds are alpha a1,4 glycosidic linkages to form the chains
98
what type of bonds form in cellulose?
beta 1,4
99
what is the overall shape of amylose?
coils into helix
100
what is the overall shape of amyopectin?
highly branched
101
does glycogen have fibres/ fibrils?
no
102
what is the overall shape of cellulose?
long and straight
103
what is the overall shape of glycogen?
branched
104
does amylopectin have fibres/ fibrils?
no
105
does amylose have fibres/ fibrils?
no
106
does cellulose have fibres/ fibrils?
yes
107
is amylose found in plant or animals?
plant
108
is amylopectin found in plant or animals?
plant
109
is cellulose found in plant or animals?
plant
110
is glycogen found in plant or animals?
animals
111
what is the function of amylose?
hydrolyses the glycosidic bonds
112
what is the function of cellulose?
helps withstand high pressure
113
what is the function of amylopectin
plants store it then hydrolyse it when they need a supply of energy
114
why can amylopectin be hydrolysed quicker than amylose?
amylopectin has more exposed glucose units to release energy rapidly
115
what is starch made up of?
- amylose (20%)
- amylopectin (80%)
116
what is the function of glycogen?
storage of sugars
117
what is glycogen stored as?
granules in the cytoplasm of cells
118
what is glycogen mostly made by?
liver and muscles
119
what would complete hydrolysis of a protein produce?
amino acid
120
what type pf covalent bond is used to link two monosaccharides together?
glycosidic bonds
121
name two electronegative atoms?
oxygen and nitrogen
122
what are polysaccharides?
large insoluble molecules composed of many hundreds to thousands of sugar units
123
what atoms are removed in a condensation reaction?
OH and H to produce H2O
124
what are lipids?
non-polar macromolecules containing the elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
125
why does glucose need to be stored?
when it is broken down in respiration it releases ATP so glucose is a soluble source of energy
126
what are the four types of lipids?
- fatty acids
- glycerides
- non glyceride lipids
- complex lipids
127
what are the two types of fatty acids?
- saturated
- unsaturated
128
what are the two types of glycerides?
- neutral glycerides
- phospho-glycerides
129
what are the three types of non glyceride lipids?
- waxes
- sphingolipids
- steroids
- steroids
130
what are the two types of sphingolipids?
- sphingomyelins
- glycolipids
131
what is the type of complex lipid?
lipoproteins
132
what are triglycerides formed from?
one glycerol and three fatty acids
133
what bonds form in trriglycerides?
ester bonds
134
how are ester bonds formed?
condensation reaction
135
what is it called when ester bonds are formed?
esterification
136
what is glycerol?
a type of alcohol
137
what are the functions of triglycerides?
- long term energy storage
- thermal insulation to reduce heat loss
- cushioning to protect organs
- buoyancy for aquatic animals
138
see IRL card for triglyceride formation (x2)
//
139
what are phospholipids?
modified triglycerides that contain a phosphate group
140
where are phospholipids found?
in the cytoplasm of every cell and form the basis of membranes
141
what is the structure of phospholipids?
- it is hydrophilic (has a charge) so will interact with and attract water
- fatty acid tails don't have a charge so are hydrophobic
142
what are sterols?
a type of lipid found in cells (not fats or oils)
143
what is cholesterol?
a type of sterol
144
where is cholesterol produced?
liver and intestines
145
is cholesterol insoluble or soluble?
insoluble
146
what is the function of cholesterol?
- found in the phospholipid membrane where it helps to regulate fluidity and adds stability
- used to produce vit D, steroid hormones and bile
147
what are the general functions of lipids?
- respiratory substrate (releases twice as much energy as 1g of carbs)
- membrane formation and hydrophobic barrier
- hormone production
- electrical insulation for nerve impulse transmission
- waterproofing
148
are double bonds present in saturated lipids?
no
149
are double bonds present in unsaturated lipids?
yes
150
what does the name of saturated lipids mean?
all the carbon atoms form the maximum number of bonds with H atoms
151
what does the name of unsaturated lipids mean?
1 double bond- monosaturated
2 or more double bonds- polyunsaturated
152
what does the fatty acid tail do in unsaturated lipids?
causes the molecule to bend and so cant pack close together
153
are saturated lipids solids or liquids and why?
solid- the molecules can pack close together
154
are unsaturated lipids solids or liquids and why?
liquid at room temperature because the carbon atoms are spread apart due to the bend
155
are saturated lipids found in animals or plants?
animals (humans)
156
are unsaturated lipids found in animals or plants?
plants and humans
157
what impact does saturated lipids have on the human diet?
may lead to coronary heart disease and obesity
158
what is the role of proteins?
- structural
- antibodies to bind to antigens
- enzymes for catabolism and anabolism
- hormones to act as chemical messengers
- transport e.g haemoglobin
159
how are amino acids used by proteins?
building blocks for proteins
160
how many naturally occurring amino acids are there?
20
161
what is the composition of the 20 naturally occurring amino acids?
5 non-essential (as we can make them from transmission)
9 essential as only obtained from diet
6 conditionally essential as only needed by infants/children
162
what are amino acids the monomers of?
proteins
163
what is the structure of amino acids?
- the R group varies in each amino acid giving different amino acids
- the simplest example is glycine where the R group is H
164
how are amino acids different?
- differences in the R group define each amino acid
- the elements they contain and charges they may carry effect how proteins fold and therefore their shape
165
what shape is insulin?
globular
166
what shape is haemoglobin?
conjugated
167
what is the shape of kerratin?
fibrous
168
what is the shape of collagen?
fibrous
169
what is the shape of catalase?
conjugated
170
what is the shape of elastin?
fibrous
171
what is the structure of insulin?
compact and roughly spherical in shape
172
what is the role of insulin?
regulation of blood glucose concentration
173
is insulin soluble or insoluble?
soluble
174
describe the structure of haemoglobin?
4 subunits, each having one polypeptide chain and one heme group
175
what is the role of haemoglobin?
carried oxygen from the lungs to tissues or organs
176
is haemoglobin soluble or insoluble?
soluble
177
describe the structure of kerratin?
sheets of polypeptide chains that extend in the same direction
178
what is the role of kerratin?
helps form hair, nails and skin outer layers
179
is keratin soluble or insoluble?
insoluble
180
describe the structure of collagen?
composed of three chains
181
what is the role of collagen?
provides structure and support to connective tissues
182
is collagen soluble or insolubble?
insoluble
183
describe the structure of catalase?
tetramer composed of 4 subunits
184
what is the role of catalase?
decompose hydrogen peroxide to protect cells
185
is catalase soluble or insoluble?
soluble
186
describe the structure of elastin?
repeated sequences of 3 to 9 amino acids
187
what is the role of elastin?
allows tissues in body to stretch and shrink
188
is elastin soluble and insoluble?
insoluble
189
what are the levels of protein structure?
- secondary
- primary
- tertiary
- quaternary
190
what do the elements in carbs usually appear in the ratio of?
Cx(H2O)y
191
See paper flashcard for alpha glucose
/
192
see paper flashcard for beta glucose
/
193
glucose molecules are _________ and _________ in water?
- polar
- soluble
194
why is hydrogen soluble in water?
the hydrogen bonds that form between hydroxyl groups and water molecules
195
what is sucrose made up of?
fructose and glucose
196
what is lactose made from?
galactose and glucose
197
where is ribose present?
present in RNA nucleotides
198
what are pentose monosaccharides?
sugars that contain five carbon atoms
199
where is deoxyribose present?
in DNA nucleotides
200
what bond forms between alpha glucoses?
glycosidic bonds
201
what do two alpha glucoses with glycosidic bonds form?
starch
202
what is mRNA?
a copy of DNA sequence
203
what is the primary structure?
the sequence that particular amino acids are arranged in
204
what are two types of secondary structures in proteins?
alpha helix and beta pleated sheets
205
what are alpha helix?
chain of amino acids that coil into an alpha helix due to hydrogen bonding
206
where is the attraction between in an alpha helix?
- oxygen in -CO on one amino acid
- hydrogen in -NH group on an amino acid 4 places ahead
207
what are beta pleated sheets?
polypeptide chains which lie parallel to one another joined by hydrogen bonds
208
how can hydrogen bonds be broken down in beta pleated sheets?
by changing the temperature or pH
209
what is the tertiary structure?
coils and pleated sheets starting to form
210
what are tertiary structures held together by?
- hydrogen bonds
- hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions
- ionic bonds
- disulphide bridges
211
where do hydrophobic parts of the R group move to and why?
the centre of the polypeptide to avoid water
212
how are globular proteins formed?
interactions with the hydrophobic and hydrophylic parts in the protein causes the amino acid chain to twist which changes the shape into globular proteins
213
why are globular proteins water soluble?
water molecules can easily cluster around them
214
are hydrogen bonds the weakest or strongest bonds formed around the R group?
weakest
215
where do ionic bonds form in proteins?
between oppositely charged R groups
216
what are disulfide bridges?
types of covalent bonds that form between R groups that contain sulfur atoms
217
what will happen if tertiary structures are exposed to heat?
- the heat increases the kinetic energy of the molecule and makes parts of it vibrate faster
- this means that the bonds that hold the protein in its globular shape are broken and its complex shape will unravel
- so denatures
218
why is the tertiary structure of proteins denaturing important in enzymes?
enzymes are the tertiary structure that defines the active site
219
what is the quaternary structure?
the interactions between 2 or more individual proteins called subunits
220
what are globular proteins?
- proteins that have a compact spherical shape
- they are usually soluble in water and play important roles in cellular processes such as enzymes, hormones and antibodies
221
what are fibrous proteins?
- long, insoluble molecules
- high proportion of amino acids with hydrophobic R groups
- primary structure is repetitive
222
what are conjugated proteins?
- globular proteins that contain a non-protein element (prosthetic group)
223
see IRL flashcard for amino acid structure
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224
see IRL flashcard for structure of glycine?
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225
see IRL flashy for structure of phospholipid
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226
see IRL flashy for config of unsaturated lipid
/
227
see IRL flashy for config of saturated flashy
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228
see IRL flashy for bonded water mols
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229
see IRL flashy for production of maltose
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230
see IRL flashy for nucleotide
/
231
see IRL flashy for polarity of water mol
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232
see IRL flashy for formula of ribose, glucose and fructose
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233
see IRL flashy for formula of monosac
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