Biological molecules Flashcards
What is produced in a condensation reaction?
A polymer and water
What is produced in hydrolysis?
Two monomers
What is metabolism?
All of the chemical processes that take place in living organisms.
What is the basic monomer of a carbohydrate called?
A monosaccharide (sugar).
What is the general formula of a monosaccharide?
(CH2O)n
Name three monosaccharides.
- Glucose,
- Fructose,
- Galactose.
Name three disaccharides and what they are formed from.
- Glucose + Glucose = Maltose,
- Glucose + Galactose = Lactose,
- Glucose + Fructose = Sucrose.
What is the bond which forms in a condensation reaction called?
Glycosidic bond.
Name three polysaccharides.
- Starch,
- Cellulose,
- Glycogen.
What is starch made from?
a-glucose.
Name 5 ways in which starch is adapted to its function.
- Insoluble (doesn’t affect the water potential),
- Large (doesn’t diffuse out of cells),
- Compact (can be stored in small spaces),
- Hydrolysed to a-glucose which is easily transported,
- Branched form has many ends to be acted upon by enzymes.
How is Glycogen different to starch?
- Only found in animals,
- Shorted chains,
- More highly branched.
What is cellulose made up of?
B-glucose
Name three ways the structure of cellulose is suited to its function.
- B-glucose so forms long straight unbranched chains,
- Hydrogen bonds provide collective strength,
- Molecules are grouped to form micro-fibrils which are grouped to form fibres adding more strength.
What are the two main groups of lipids?
Triglycerides and phospholipids
Name five roles of lipids.
- Contribute to the flexibility of cell membranes,
- Source of energy,
- Insulation,
- Waterproofing,
- Protection.
What is the bond formed between a fatty acid an glycerol?
Ester bond
What is a fatty acid?
A hydrocarbon with a carboxyl group attached.
Name 4 advantages of the structure of triglycerides.
- High proportion of hydrogen-carbon bonds which contain a lot of energy,
- Low mass : energy ratio,
- Insoluble,
- Release water when oxidised.
Which part of a phospholipid is hydrophilic?
The phosphate group (head)
Which part of a phospholipid is hydrophobic?
The hydrocarbon chain (tail)
What is the basic monomer unit of a polypeptide?
Amino Acid
Name the four parts of an amino acid.
- Carbon atom,
- Hydrogen,
- Variable ‘R’ group,
- Amino (-NH2) group,
- Carboxyl (-COOH) group.
What is the bond between two proteins called?
Peptide Bond
What is the primary structure of proteins?
The amino acid sequence, determined by DNA
What is the secondary structure of a protein?
The position of hydrogen bonds whch form between the =O on the -COOH group and a H on the -NH2 group.
What is the tertiary structure of a protein?
The position of ionic bonds, disulfide bridges and hydrogen bonds. Forming a 3D structure.
What is the quarternary structure of a protein?
Many polypeptide chains all linked together.
Describe the induced fit model.
The enzyme changes its tertiary structure when the substrate is present, activating the active site. The substrate binds forming an enzyme substrate complex, the enzyme puts strain on the bonds in the substrate weakening them so its activation energy is lowered.
Name three factors affecting enzyme action.
- Temperature,
- pH,
- Concentrations.
Name two enzyme inhibitors.
Competitive
Non-competitive
What does a competitive inhibitor do?
Fills the active site of the enzyme.
What does a non-competitive inhibitor do?
Changes the shape of the enzyme (denaturing it) so no enzyme-substrate complexes can be formed.
