Biological Molecules Flashcards
What are the long chains of monomer sub units called?
What process is this called?
Polymers
Polymerisation
What is the reaction called when each time a new sub-unit is attached, a molecule of water is formed?
Condensation reaction
What is it called when water molecules are used to break the bonds that link the sub-units of a polymer?
Hydrolysis reaction
What is a molar solution?
A solution that contains one mole of solute in each litre of solution.
What are some examples of monomers?
Monosaccharides, amino acids and nucleotides
Pattern of sugars joining (saccharides)
A single monomer is a monosaccharide -
two monosaccharides = disaccharide
many monosaccharides = polysaccharide
What are examples of monosaccharides?
isomers?
glucose, galactose, fructose
glucose has alpha and beta glucose isomers
Test for reducing sugars
Add 2cm^3 of food sample to test tube. grind if not in liquid form.
Add equal volume of Benedicts reagent.
Heat in gently boiling water for five minutes.
If it turns orange brown, then reducing sugar present
Disaccharides made from monosaccharides joining
What are these reactions called and what are the bonds called?
glucose + glucose = maltose
glucose + fructose = sucrose
glucose + galactose = lactose
Condensation reaction and glycosidic bond
Test for non reducing sugars
start with sample in liquid form
do reducing sugar test first and if no colour change, then non reducing sugar may be present.
Boil the food sample with dilute hydrochloric acid, HCl hydrolyses any disaccharide present into monosaccharides.
Neutralise with some sodium hydrogencarbonate solution.
Test with pH paper to check that the solution is akaline
Heat with 2 cm^3 Benedicts in gently boiling water for 5 mins.
Will turn orange brown, shows non reducing sugar was present, not reducing sugar
What are advantages of polysaccharides?
Examples of polysaccharides?
Very large molecules so insoluble - suitable for storage
When hydrolysed, broken down into disaccharides and monosaccharides.
Cellulose
Starch
Test for starch
2cm^3 of sample into test tube
Two drops of iodine solution and shake
Colour change to blue-black
Advantages and roles of starch
Where is it found?
insoluble - doesn’t affect water potential, water is not drawn into cells by osmosis
large and insoluble - does not diffuse out of cells
compact - a lot can be stored in a small space
when hydrolysed, forms alpha glucose, easily transported and readily used in respiration
branched form has many ends, glucose monomers can be released very rapidly.
in plant cells, never in animal cells
Advantages and roles of glycogen
Where is it found?
insoluble - does not tend to draw in water into cells by osmosis
insoluble - does not diffuse out of cells
compact - lot can be stored in small space
more highly branched than starch - rapdily broken down to glucose monomers and this is useful as animals have higher metabolic rate + respiratory rate
Found in animals and bateria but never in plant cells
Features of cellulose
What is the main role of cellulose?
made of beta glucose - form straight, unbranched chains
cellulose molecular chains run parallel to each other and are cross linked by hydrogen bonds which add collective strength
molecules grouped to form microfibrils - in turn grouped to form fibres - provides more strength.
provides rigidity in plant cell walls, to prevent it from bursting as water enters through osmosis