Cell Chemistry Flashcards
4 Major classes of compound composing cells
Polymer: Nucleic acids & Protiens
Monomer: Amino Acids, Saccharide, Nucleotide
Intracellular role: Enzymes, energy storage, structure
Fatty Acids: Fats & Lipids, energy storage, major structual component of membrane
Characteristics of Water and consequences/benefit of pertaining
characteristic -> consequence
High Heat Capacity -> minimizes T changes
Higher density than ice -> ice forms on water surface
High heat of fusion -> organisms are protected from freezing at low T
Polarity of water -> Leads to hydrophobic interaction that confers stability
High Heat of vaporization -> land animals can cool themselves by surface evaporation
Most abundant molecule in organism, essential to life,
General structure of amino acids and major classes
Examples of classes
Hydrophobic (Alanine)
Polar and Uncharged (Serine)
Charged (Lysine, Histidine)
Examples:
Isoelectric Point
The pH point at which the amino acid has no net charge
Which Amino Acid isomer is found in proteins and where to find the other
L & D
L is found in protein
D is found in cell walls of bacteria
How do amino acids combine to form proteins
what bond
Peptide bonds
Special property cysteine contributes to protein
Has a dissociation constant which allows it to make a sulfur bridge
Important Forces involved in determining 3-D protein structure
Electrostatic
Hydrogen bonds
Hydrophobic forces
Covalent bond (disulfide bridges)
Monosacchrides, Glucose, Fructose, and Sucrose
General formula
Glucose: C6H12O6
Fructose: C6H12O6
Sucrose: C5H10O5
Glycosidic bond
A type of covalent bond that joins a carbohydrate (sugar) molecule to another group.
General Properties of Polysaccharides (cellulose, starch, and glycogen) and roles in nature
Cellulose: Major component of wood and plant fiber. Hard to break down.
Starch: Used for energy storage in plants.
Glycogen: Is broken down to release glucose into the bloodstream to be used as fuel for cells
General Formula of Fatty Acids and difference between saturated and unsaturated
CH3 – (CH2)n – COOH
Unsaturated fatty acids have C=C double bonds
Most double bonds are cis
General Structure of Fats and how are they formed from Fatty Acids
Dehydration Synthesis
3 Major Types of membrane lipids
Phospolipids (major class)
Glycolipids
Cholesterol
Phospholipid general structure
General structure of lipid bilayers
draw it using polar head - hydrophobic tail schematic
Role of Lipid Bilayers in membrane formation and membrane composition
Lipid bilaters are formed in aqueous environments through hydrophobic interactions. Membrane forms a barrier between the inside and outside of cell.
Integral and peripheral proteins
Integral: Extends partly or completly through membrane
Peripheral: Confined to membrane surface
Explain the effects of lipid bilayers on membrane permeability
Water, neutral nonpolar, neutral polar, and charged molecules
Membrane is permeable to water and neutral nonpolar molecules
Less permeable to neutral polar molcules and impermeable to charged molecules
Central Dogma
Components of DNA and RNA
including bases utilized in them
DNA: Sugar, Base, Phosphate
Bases = A,T,G,C
RNA: Sugar, Base, Phosphate
Bases =A,T,U,C
Difference between nucleotides and nucleosides
Nucleosides = base + sugar
Nucleotides = base + sugar + phosphate
Importance of ATP
Energy
How are Nucleotides combined to form DNA and RNA
Phospodiester bonds
3’ to 5’