Biological Molecules Flashcards
What do living things contain?
- organic ( contain carbon)
- inorganic compounds
What is Biological/Biomolecule?
an organic molecule produced by a living organism
Metabolism?
all chemical reactions that occur in a organism
Catabolism?
breakdown of compounds to release energy and other compounds or atoms
Anabolism?
combination of new compound from simpler ones
Chemical energy?
energy containing bonds that can be broken apart in cells to release energy and some is lost in heat
4 types of organic molecules?
- carbohydrates
- lipids
- proteins
- nucleic acids
Sugars?
- most abundant molecule
- basic unit of a sugar is MONOSACCHARIDES
- formula is C6H12C6
Monosaccarides?
- simplest sugars
- used for fuel and building material
Disaccharides?
when 2 sugars are joined
Polysaccharides?
when many sugars are joined
where is the original source of glucose molecules?
photosynthesis from co2 and h20
What forms when glucose joins together?
cellulose, starch and glycogen
Cellulose?
polysaccharide used for structural support
found in plants to make cell walls
Dietary Fibre
- important of the function of the large intestine
- no nutrients can be digested as it is made from cellulose
Starch?
- it broken down when glucose is needed for respiration
Glycogen?
broken down when the concentration of glucose drops
Lipids or Fats
- consists of 3 long fatty acid chains attached to 1 glycerol molecule
- energy storing molecules
Why is fat important?
- carrier for fat soluble vitamins A,D,E, through bloodstream
- for growth
- insulation
- flavour
What are proteins made up of?
amino acids
how many different amino acids are there?
20
what happens when 20 of the amino acids are not included?
there will be a protein deficiency disease
Fibrous protein?
- insoluble
- makes structural tissue in body
Globular proteins
- forms amino acids that have metabolic functions
cell mortility
- when proteins link together to form filaments which make movement possible
Primary structure?
composed of amino acids bonding to each other
Secondary structure?
alpha helix ( tight coil) beta sheet (pleated) random coils
Tertiary structure?
- polypeptide is a 3d , twisted and coiled structure
Quaternary structure?
2 or more polypeptide chains interact to form a protein
Nucleic Acids
- deoxyribonucleic acid
- ribonucleic acid
a,t,c,g
- adenine
- thymine
- cytosine
- guanine
inorganic compounds
- water
- carbon dioxide
- nitrogen
- oxygen
Why is carbon dioxide classified as inorganic?
as it is not a complete molecule or contain h20
polar molecule in water?
has charged ends, that will stick together due to weak hydrogen bonds
adhesive force
- water will rise in a small tube as it can stick easier
High heat capacity
when water freezes it expands and becomes less dense which causes it to float
