Biological Molecules Flashcards
What is a carbohydrate?
Carbohydrates are sugars & starches that the body breaks down into glucose to feed cells
what are carbohydrates composed of?
Carbohydrates are composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
what are the 3 main groups of carbohydrates?
Monosaccharides , Disaccharides & Polysaccharides
what are Monosaccharides?
Monosaccharides are simple sugars, made from 1 sugar molecule
what are Disaccharides?
Disaccharides are made from 2 monosaccharides
what are polysaccharides?
Polysaccharides are complex carbohydrates, composed of 10 up to several thousand monosaccharides arranged in chains
what is a Lipid?
A Lipid is a fat made from chains of carbon & hydrogen molecules.
Why are Lipids insoluble in water?
Lipids contain a much smaller proportion of electronegative oxygen so there are fewer covalent polar bonds. they are hydrophobic. (they have mostly nonpolar bonds)
What main substances are Lipids divided into?
fatty acids, triglycerides, phospholipids, steroids, eicosanoids and lipoproteins.
What is a Triglyceride?
a Triglyceride is a fat that is solid at room temperature, and its fatty acids are likely to be saturated
what types of products can we find Triglycerides in?
meats, dairy, cocoa butter, palm oil and coconut oil etc
What are fatty Acids?
Fatty acids are the simplest lipids and are used to make triglycerides & phospholipids
What is a Saturated Fatty acid?
A saturated fatty acid contains only single bonds between carbon atoms. They are found in high fat dairy foods and fat cuts of meats
What is an Unsaturated fatty acid?
An unsaturated fatty acid contains one or more double bonds between carbon atoms, creating a kink in its structure. They are found in Nuts, avocados and oils such as olive oil
what are Phospholipids?
Phospholipids are molecules have two fatty acids attached to glycerol into which a phosphate group is incorporated. They are amphipathic - they have a polar (head) and a nonpolar (tails) portion, and they are found in cell membranes.
