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general biology I > biomolecules > Flashcards

biomolecules Flashcards

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1
Q

what are biomolecules?

A

long strings of identical or similar molecules covalently bonded together

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2
Q

what is another term for macromolecules?

A

polymers

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3
Q

what do we call the subunit of polymers?

A

monomers

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4
Q

how are bonds built?

A

dehydration; the removal of a water molecule forms a new bond

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5
Q

how are bonds broken?

A

hydrolisis; break a bond by adding a water molecule

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6
Q

what are the 4 main classes of biomolecules?

A

carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids

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7
Q

what type of bond joins together carbohydrates?

A

glycosidic linkages

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8
Q

monosaccharides are an example of what type of biomolecule?

A

carbohydrates

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9
Q

what are monosaccharides?

A

simplest carbohydrates (single molecules)

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10
Q

disaccharides are an example of…?

A

carbohydrates

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11
Q

what are disaccharides?

A

two monosaccharides joined by a glycosidic linkage

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12
Q

what are polysaccharides?

A

two or more monosaccharides joined by glycosidic linkages into a huge, bulky molecule

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13
Q

which monosaccharides are isomers?

A

aldoses and ketoses

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14
Q

where is the C=O bond of an aldose?

A

at one end of the molecule

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15
Q

where is the C=O bond of a ketose?

A

in the middle of the molecule

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16
Q

what are examples of aldoses/ketoses?

A

glucose and fructose

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17
Q

what is another name for monosaccharides?

A

simple sugars

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18
Q

hexose sugars all share the same molecular formula. they are called…

A

isomers

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19
Q

what are examples of disaccharides?

A

sucrose (glucose+fructose)
lactose (glucose+galactose)
maltose (glucose+glucose)

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20
Q

what are examples of carbohydrates?

A

sugars, glycogen, starch, cellulose, chitin

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21
Q

what is the function of sugars?

A

they are used as fuel (energy)

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22
Q

what is the function of glycogen?

A

energy storage in animals

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23
Q

what is the linkage for glycogen?

A

1-4 linkage of alpha glucose

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24
Q

what enzyme breaks down glycogen?

A

phosphorylase

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25
Q

what is the function of starch?

A

energy storage in plants

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26
Q

what is the linkage for starch?

A

1-4 linkage of alpha glucose

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27
Q

what enzyme breaks down starch?

A

amylase

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28
Q

how are the molecules of glycogen and starches arranged?

A

they are long chains of sugar rings

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29
Q

what is the function of cellulose

A

structural strength in plants

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30
Q

what is the linkage of cellulose?

A

1-4 linkage of beta glucose (B stands for BAD! few animals are capable of breaking it down, only cows/termites)

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31
Q

how do animals like cows/termites break down cellulose?

A

they have a special bacteria that does it for them

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32
Q

how are the molecules of cellulose arranged?

A

cellulose is like fibers woven together until it becomes cell walls (cell walls are made of cellulose)

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33
Q

why can’t we digest beta glucose (ex: cellulose)?

A

because it has the wrong orientation. in a beta glucose molecule, the OH is above the H at 1. in an alpha glucose, the H is above the OH at 1.

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34
Q

what is the linkage for chitin?

A

1-4 linkage of beta glucose

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35
Q

where is chitin found?

A

in mushrooms and certain bug shells

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36
Q

what enzyme breaks down chitin?

A

chitinase - we only produce a little of this, so we digest chitin quite slowly

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37
Q

what elements are most carbohydrates made of?

A

H, C, O

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38
Q

what differs chitin from the other carbs?

A

it contains 4 elements: H, C, O, N

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39
Q

what are lipids and what are their bonds called?

A

they are non-traditional polymers that are non-polar and hydrophobic. their bonds are called ester linkages

40
Q

what are some examples of lipids?

A

fats, phospholipids and steroids

41
Q

what are the monomers for lipids called?

A

glycerol and fatty acids

42
Q

what is the proper name for fat?

A

triacyglycerol

43
Q

what are fats made of?

A

1 glycerol and 3 fatty acids

44
Q

what are fatty acids?

A

hydrocarbon chains

45
Q

what is the function of fats?

A

energy storage, cushioning

46
Q

what are the 2 types of fats?

A

saturated and unsaturated

47
Q

describe saturated fat bonds

A

there are no C=C double bonds, straight chains with as many H bonds as possible, solid at room temp, for every C there are 2 H

48
Q

why are saturated fats considered bad?

A

they are bad for cardiovascular health because the chains can interlock, so it becomes easy for them to build up and eventually clog arteries

49
Q

describe unsaturated fat bonds

A

has C=C double bonds (can sometimes have more than 1 double bond), which prevents it from packing close enough to solidify at room temp (they are LIQUID)

50
Q

why are unsaturated fats good?

A

because of the bend in one of the fatty acid chains, it is less likely for these fats to get tangled and clog up arteries

51
Q

fatty acid chains from different fat molecules are…

A

slightly attracted to each other

52
Q

fatty acids chains in general:

A
  • contain a carboxyl group (-COOH) and a long hydrocarbon chain
  • saturated or unsaturated
  • saturated has the max # of H atoms attached to each C
  • unsaturated have less H atoms, usually two less than saturated
53
Q

what causes the bend in unsaturated fats?

A

the double carbon bond

54
Q

describe phospholipids

A
  • non-polar and polar ends
  • part of plasma membrane
  • hydrophobic/hydrophillic regions
  • 2 “tails” with a phosphate
  • make up our cell membrane
55
Q

explain how phospholipids form a “barrier”

A

the hydrophobic parts of the phospholips will hide away from the water, creating an impenetrable barrier which can only be penetrated by things that can dissolve through lipids (gases)

56
Q

what function do phospholipids have?

A

waterproofing

57
Q

how are steroids similar to sugars?

A

they are assembled by the same type of rxn

58
Q

describe stereoids

A

they have ring structures, and are found in cell membrane, cholesterol and hormones

59
Q

describe the ring configuration of steroids?

A

the rings always attach along the long side (not point to point like carbs) and always contain 4 rings with the same orientation

60
Q

examples of steroids?

A

cholesterol, estrogen, testosterone

61
Q

describe proteins

A
  • made from the same set of 20 amino acids
  • all have same basic structure, but have specific side chains
  • different categories: non-polar, polar, electrically charged
  • sensitive to pH change
  • called di-peptides or polypeptides
62
Q

what is the monomer for protein?

A

amino acid

63
Q

what is the bond for protein?

A

peptides (they are hardest bond to make without mistakes & are easy to break)

64
Q

what are amino acids?

A

monomer of polypeptides

65
Q

what is contained in an amino acid?

A

amino group, alpha carbon, r group (specific to each amino acid), carboxyl group

66
Q

what determines the function of a protein?

A

the shape (shape = function)

67
Q

what are the 4 levels of protein structure?

A

primary structure, secondary structure, tertiary structure and quatemary structure

68
Q

describe primary structure of proteins

A

single chain of amino acids

69
Q

describe secondary structure of proteins

A

chains are folded into alpha helixes or beta pleats (one chain can be both helix and pleat)

70
Q

tertiary structure

A

essentially being squished into a ball, the sheets from the secondary structure are interweaved.

held together by: interactions between hydrophobid/hydrophillic R-groups, hydrogen bonds and disulfide bridges

71
Q

describe quatemary structure of proteins

A

putting two or more polypeptide chains together

72
Q

what is a chaperonin?

A

a special protein that helps with the folding of other proteins

73
Q

what happens if something goes wrong with the structure of the protein?

A

if something goes wrong, at any level, the protein won’t work - only takes one mistake! faulty DNA is inherited, mistakes with good DNA won’t be noticeable

74
Q

what can cause a protein structure to unravel?

A

pH changes, high temperature, salt (ex: why a fever of 101 is better than 103)

75
Q

what are enzymes considered?

A

proteins

76
Q

function & example of enzymatic proteins

A

function: selective acceleration of chemical reactions
example: digestive enzymes like lactase

77
Q

function & example of storage proteins

A

function: storage of amino acids
examples: casein, the protein in milk

78
Q

function & example of defensive proteins

A

function: protection against disease
ex: antibodies inactivate and help destroy bacteria (vaccines)

79
Q

function & example of transport proteins

A

function: transports substances
ex: hemoglobin (transports oxygen in blood)

80
Q

function & example of hormonal proteins

A

function: coordinates an organism’s activities
example: insulin (regulates blood sugar)

81
Q

function & example of contractile/motor proteins

A

function: movement
ex: actin and myosin are responsible for contraction of muscles

82
Q

function & example of receptor proteins

A

function: response of cell to chemical stimuli
ex: receptors in nerve cells can tell ovaries to stop/start producing eggs

83
Q

function & example of structural proteins

A

function: support
ex: keratin, protein in hair/horns/feathers

84
Q

what is the purpose of nucleic acids?

A

store and transmit hereditary information

85
Q

what are the 2 types of nucleic acids?

A

DNA, RNA

86
Q

describe DNA

A

provides info for its own replication, directs RNA synthesis, it is passed on

87
Q

describe RNA

A

directs protein synthesis, it is temporary (not passed on)

88
Q

where are copies of our DNA stored?

A

a copy of DNA is in each of our cells

89
Q

what are the monomers for nucleic acids

A

nucleotides

90
Q

what are the bonds for nucleic acids?

A

phosphodiester

91
Q

what are nucleotides composed of?

A

a phosphate group, a sugar and either a pyrimidine or a purine

92
Q

how to make DNA?

A

take 2 nucleic acids, attach together and twist in helix. to break the bond between monomers, remove a water

93
Q

how to “read” DNA?

A

“instructions” are used by reading one strip - AGCT

94
Q

describe DNA polarity

A

the DNA strand has a polarity with one end being 5’ and one being 3’

95
Q

what does DNA stand for?

A

deoxyribonucleic acid - it is a sugar phosphate backbone with nucleitides

96
Q

describe DNA strands

A

each nucleotide has a complimentary nucleotide: adenine (A) and thymine (T) // guanine (G) and cytosine (C)

97
Q

DNA - how is double-stranded helix arranged?

A

antiparallel - one side will be 3’-5’, other side will be 5’-3’

general biology I (20 decks)

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