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Biology > Biomolecules > Flashcards

Biomolecules Flashcards

1
Q

Why is water referred to as a ‘polar molecule’?

A
  • Has a positively charged hydrogen end

- Has a negatively charged oxygen end (unpaired electrons)

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2
Q

What type of bonds form between water molecules?

A

Hydrogen

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3
Q

What are the properties of water?

A
  • Universal solvent (transport)
  • Transport medium (cohesion)
  • High surface tension (cohesion)
  • Coolant (solid less dense than liquid)
  • High specific heat capacity (habitat)
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4
Q

What is the importance of water being a universal solvent?

A
  • Most things dissolve in water
  • Has a positive and negative end so will become attracted to many different types of molecules, e.g. NaCl
  • Acts as a transport medium
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5
Q

What is the importance of water having a high specific capacity?

A

Requires a high amount of energy to raise the temperature of 1g of water by 1 degrees celsius - stable habitats

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6
Q

What is the importance of water having a high surface tension?

A
  • Due to hydrogen bonds having strong molecular interactions (cohesion)
  • Allows insects to stand on water
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7
Q

What is the importance of water density decreasing under 4°C?

A

Ice floats on water providing insulating layer and stable habitat
Water organisms can float as the water density is high

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8
Q

What is the importance of water having cohesion and adhesion?

A
  • Form water columns that flow uphill (xylem)
  • Good transport medium
  • High surface tension
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9
Q

What is cohesion?

A

Joining of water molecules to other water molecules

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10
Q

What is adhesion?

A

The joining of water to different polar molecules

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11
Q

What are polymers?

A

A long molecule made up of any smaller molecules (monomers)

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12
Q

What are monomers?

A

Small molecules that are the building block of polymers

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13
Q

Give 4 examples of biomolecules

A

1- Carbohydrates
2- Proteins
3- Lipids
4- Nucleic acids

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14
Q

What are the monomers in carbohydrates called?

A

Monosaccharides (glucose)

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15
Q

What are the polymers in carbohydrates called?

A

Polysaccharides

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16
Q

What are the monomers in proteins called?

A

Amino acids

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17
Q

What are the monomers in lipids called?

A

Triglyceride

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18
Q

What are the monomers in nucleic acids called?

A

Nucleotides

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19
Q

What are the polymers in nucleic acids called?

A

DNA/RNA

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20
Q

What is condensation?

A

When 2 molecules join together to form one larger molecule and one molecule of water

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21
Q

What is hydrolysis?

A

When 2 molecules are split apart using a molecule of water

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22
Q

Draw an alpha glucose molecule

A

A

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23
Q

Draw a beta glucose molecule

A

B

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24
Q

What is amylose and amylopectin used for?

A

Glucose/energy storage in plants

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25
Q

What is a glycosidic bond?

A

A bond that forms between carbohydrates

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26
Q

What is a disaccharide?

A

2 monosaccharides

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27
Q

Glucose + Glucose = ?

A

Maltose

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28
Q

Glucose + Fructose = ?

A

Sucrose

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29
Q

Glucose + Galactose = ?

A

Lactose

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30
Q

How is maltose formed?

A

Glucose + Glucose

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31
Q

How is sucrose formed?

A

Glucose + Fructose

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32
Q

What is ribose?

A
  • A pentose monosaccharide
    (5 carbon atoms)
  • Sugar that forms RNA nucleotides
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33
Q

How is lactose formed?

A

Glucose + Galactose

34
Q

What is the structure of amylose?

A

Alpha 1, 4 glycosidic bonds

Helix shape

36
Q

What is the structure of amylopectin?

A

Alpha 1, 4 and alpha 1, 6 glycosidic bonds

Branched shape

37
Q

What are the properties of amylose?

A

Good storage molecule for glucose

Insoluble (no effect on WP or osmosis)

38
Q

What is the structure of cellulose?

A

Beta 1, 4 glycosidic bonds

Straight chain shape

39
Q

What are the properties of amylopectin?

A

Increased SA so can be hydrolysed quicker
Good storage molecule for glucose
Insoluble (no effect on WP or osmosis)

40
Q

What are the properties of cellulose?

A

Good mechanical support

Insoluble

40
Q

What is glycogen used for?

A

Glucose/energy storage in animals

41
Q

What is the structure of glycogen?

A

Alpha 1, 4 and 1, 6 glycosidic bonds

Highly branched shape

42
Q

What are the properties of glycogen?

A

Good storage molecule for glucose

Insoluble

44
Q

What are peptides?

A

Polymers made up of amino acid molecules

44
Q

What is a peptide bond?

A

The bond between amino acids in all proteins

45
Q

What is the structure of an amino acid?

A

Contain:

  • Amine group (NH2)
  • Carboxylic acid group (COOH)
  • R group
46
Q

Draw an amino acid structure

47
Q

What is a dipeptide?

A

When a peptide bond forms between 2 amino acids and water is produced

48
Q

What is the primary structure of a protein?

A

The sequence of amino acids

49
Q

What are the 2 main types of secondary protein?

A

Alpha helix and beta pleated sheet

49
Q

What is the secondary structure of a protein?

A
  • Long chains of amino acids fold into regions with repeating patterns due to hydrogen bonds
  • There are two types: alpha helix and beta pleated sheets
51
Q

Give 4 bonds involved in protein tertiary structure

A

Hydrogen
Ionic
Disulfide
Hydrophobic/hydrophilic interactions

51
Q

What is the tertiary structure of a protein?

A

The folding of the protein into it’s final 3D shape

52
Q

What interactions occur between R-groups?

A
  • Hydrophilic/Hydrophobic interactions: weak interactions between polar and non-polar R-groups
  • Hydrogen bonds: these are the weakest bonds formed
  • Ionic bonds: these are stronger than hydrogen bonds and form between oppositely charged R-groups
  • Disulfide bonds: these are covalent and are the strongest of the bonds but only form between R-groups that contain sulfur atoms
53
Q

What is the quaternary structure of a protein?

A

The result of 2 or more individual proteins (subunits) interacting

54
Q

How do you test for a carbohydrate?

A

Benedict’s test for reducing sugars:
- Place sample to be tested in boiling tube. If it’s not in liquid form then grind it or blend in water
- Add an equal volume of Benedict’s reagent
- Heat mixture gently in boiling water bath for 5 mins
Reducing sugars will react with copper in reagent - brick red precipitate

Non-reducing sugars:
Remain blue after warming

56
Q

How do you test for starch?

A

Iodine test:
- A few drops of iodine solution dissolved in potassium iodide solution is mixed with a sample
If the solution changes from yellow/brown to purple/black then starch is present

58
Q

How do you test for lipids?

A

Emulsion test:
- Sample is mixed with ethanol
- The resulting solution is mixed with water and shaken
If a white emulsion forms as a top layer on top of the solution, lipid is present
Clear = negative

61
Q

How do you test for proteins?

A

Biuret test

If proteins are present = pink/purple

62
Q

How do you calculate Rf value?

A

Distance travelled by component/ distance travelled by solvent

64
Q

Describe the structure of a haemoglobin molecule

A
  • Chain of a.a
  • Joined by peptide bonds
  • Hydrophilic R groups on outside
  • Hydrophobic R groups on inside
  • 4 polypeptides
  • 2 alpha chains and 2 beta chains
  • 4 haem groups
65
Q

What are globular proteins?

A
  • Compact, water soluble, and usually roughly spherical in shape.
  • Hyrophilic R groups on inside of molecule
  • Hydrophobic R groups on outside of molecule
67
Q

Give an example of a globular protein

A

Insulin
It is a hormone involved in the regulation of blood glucose concentration.
Hormones are transported in the bloodstream so need to be soluble. They also have to fit into specific receptors so need to have precise shapes

68
Q

What are conjugated proteins?

A

Globular proteins that contain a prosthetic group

69
Q

Draw the structure of a triglyceride

70
Q

What is an ester bond?

A

Formed when a molecule having the carboxylic group reacts with another molecule having a hydroxyl group. The carboxylic group loses its hydrogen and oxygen while the alcohol loses hydrogen of its hydroxyl group.

71
Q

What are lipids made of?

A

Glycerol and 3 fatty acids

72
Q

How are lipids joined?

A

By ester bonds to form a triglyceride by condensation

73
Q

Describe unsaturated fatty acids

A
  • Have double bonds between carbon atoms

- Have less hydrogen

74
Q

Describe the structure of a phospholipid

A
  • Has a phosphate head (hydrophilic)
  • Glycerol
  • Joined to 2 fatty acids by ester bonds (hydrophobic)
75
Q

Describe saturated fatty acids

A
  • Don’t have double bonds between carbon atoms

- Cause an increase in cholesterol

76
Q

Give an example of a prosthetic group

A

Haem groups

Haemoglobin is a red, oxygen-carrying pigment found in red blood cells

76
Q

What is catalase?

A

An enzyme

A quaternary protein containing 4 haem prosthetic groups

76
Q

What are fibrous proteins?

A

Formed from long, insoluble molecules

76
Q

Examples of fibrous proteins

A
  • Keratin (group of fibrous proteins in hair, skin and nails)
  • Elastin (found in elastic fibres - walls of blood vessels and alveoli of lungs)
  • Collagen (connective tissue found in skin, tendons, ligaments and the nervous system)
76
Q

What are cations?

A

Positively charged ions

76
Q

What are anions?

A

Negatively charged ions

77
Q

Name 6 cations

A
  • Calcium (Ca2+)
  • Magnesium (Mg2+)
  • Sodium (Na+)
  • Potassium (K+)
  • Hydrogen (H+)
  • Ammonium (NH4+)
78
Q

Name 5 anions

A
  • Nitrate (NO3-)
  • Hydrogen carbonate (HCO3-)
  • Chloride (Cl-)
  • Phosphate (PO43-)
  • Hydroxide (OH-)
79
Q

What are biosensors?

A

Use biological molecules to test for the presence of another molecule
- E.g. enzyme tests for specific substrate

80
Q

Describe how a biosensor would be used to test for specific substrates of an enzyme

A
  • Immobilise enzyme/single stranded DNA to a surface
  • Add sample
  • If it hybridises or forms a complex
  • It’s detected and a transducer converts it into an electrical signal
  • Interpreted by a display
  • Gives quantitative concentration
81
Q

How does a colorimeter work?

A

The more of a substance that’s present in a sample, the greater the colour change

Biology (19 decks)

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