Chapter 2 Flashcards
any of numerous substances that are produced by cells and living organisms.
biomolecules
four major types of biomolecules
carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids, and proteins
two main functions of carbohydrates
source for chemical energy for cells in many living things
part of the structural material of plants
chemical composition of carbohydrates
made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
in a ratio of roughly one carbon atom (C)
to one water molecule (H2O)
carbohydrates’ stoichiometric formula
(CH2O)n. where “n” is the number of carbons in the molecule.
ratio of carbon to hydrogen to oxygen in carbs
1:2:1
types of carbohydrates
mono-, di-, oligo-, polysaccharide
monosaccharides
fructose, glucose, galactose
disaccharides
sucrose, lactose, malactose
oligosaccharides
raffinose, stachyose
polysaccharides
starch, cellulose, glycogen
long chains of simpler sugars joined together
starch
big molecules of starch are also called..
macromolecules
a macromolecule that is slower to break down in the body & provide energy
for a longer period of time than regular sugars.
starch
cell wall of plant cells
cellulose
why your body cannot digest cellulose the same way it can starches & sugars.
cellulose is made from chains of thousands of glucose molecules, but the difference is
in how they’re linked.
any of a diverse group of organic
compounds including fats, oils,
hormones, and certain components
of membranes
lipids
major trait of lipids
do not interact appreciably with water
one type of lipid that is sequestered as fat in adipose cells, which serve as the energy storage depot for organisms and also provide thermal insulation.
triglycerides
a lipid that serve as chemical messengers between cells, tissues, and organs, and others communicate signals between biochemical systems within a single cell.
steroid hormones
The membranes of cells and organelles (structures within cells) are microscopically thin structures formed from two layers of…
phospholipid molecules
- only single bonds in the carbon chain
- most animal fats
- “bad” fats
- high rate of diet leads to heart disease
saturated fat
- one or more double bonds in the carbon
chain - most oils from plants
- “good” fats
unsaturated fat
why are unsaturated fats easier to break
down?
they have double bonds that saturated fats don’t have. This gives them a kinkier shape, so they don’t pack together nearly as well. The gaps between molecules make their bonds easier to break.
another lipid in cell membranes
cholesterol
cholesterol is needed to make hormones like…
adrenaline
proteins are made of smaller molecules called…
amino acids
composition of proteins
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, etc.
amino acids are linked by [ ] to form [ ]
peptide bonds; polypeptide chains
primary structure of proteins
amino acid sequence
secondary structures of proteins
local interactions between stretches of a polypeptide chain and includes α-helix
and β-pleated sheet structures.
tertiary structures of proteins
the overall the three-dimension folding driven largely by interactions between R groups.
roles of proteins
membranes, enzymes, antibodies, non-steroid hormones, structural molecules
nucleic acids include…
DNA and RNA
contains information that cells use to make proteins
nucleic acids
composition of nucleic acids
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen
DNA structure
twisted ladder or double helix
the sides of the ladder are made of…
sugar molecules called deoxyribose and phosphate groups
the “rungs” of the ladder are made of…
nitrogen bases
matched sets of nitrogen bases
adenine to cytosine
thymine to guanine
the order of the bases in DNA is the way in which DNA…
stores instructions for making proteins.
nucleic acids are biomolecules that
contain the blueprints for making
proteins
