Chapter 2 CMB Biomolecules Flashcards
What are biological molecules?
Cells that make a huge number of large molecules from a small set of molecules
What are the 4 main classes of biological molecules?
- Carbohydrates
- Proteins
- Lipids
- Nucleic Acids
What are the subclasses of carbohydrates? (3 types)
- Monosaccharides
- Disaccharides
- Polysaccharides
What are the subclasses of proteins? (3 types)
- Amino acids
- Polypeptides
- Enzymes
What are the subclasses of lipids? (4 types)
- Phospholipids
- Triacylglycerols (Triglycerides)
- Fatty acids (Saturated & Unsaturated)
- Steroids
What are the subclasses of nucleic acids? (2 types)
- Deoxy ribo Nucleic Acid (DNA)
- Ribo Nucleic Acid (RNA)
What are macromolecules?
Each class contains small molecules (monomers), joined together to make large molecules (polymers)
Is it true that macromolecules are covalently linked chains of building blocks?
Yes
How do cells produce macromolecules?
Cells produce macromolecules by linking together the ready-made building blocks (monomers)
What is the baby form (monomer) of carbohydrates?
Sugars
What is the baby form (monomer) of nucleic acids?
Nucleotides - A,T,G,C
What is the baby form (monomer) of proteins?
Amino acids
What is the baby form (monomer) of lipids?
Fatty acids
What are the biological roles of carbohydrates? (6 roles)
- Primary source of energy for cells
- Anticoagulant
- Antigen
- Hormones
- Framework of the body
- Backup energy source
What is anticoagulant?
A substance that prevents blood from clotting
What is antigen?
A substance that provokes the immune system so that it can generate antibodies
How are carbohydrates classified into? (3 types)
- Monosaccharides (Monomer)
- Disaccharides (Dimer)
- Polysaccharides (Oligomer/Polymer)
What are the properties of monosaccharides? (5 properties)
- Single sugar molecule
- Crystalline
- Sweet taste
- Soluble in water
- Easy to digest and absorbed in the body
What are examples of simple sugars, monosaccharides? (3 examples)
- Glucose
- Galactose
- Fructose
What are disaccahrides?
2 monosaccharides linked by 1 glycosidic bond
What are the key disaccharides to know? (3 types)
- Sucrose (Fructose + Glucose)
- Lactose (Galactose + Glucose)
- Maltose (Glucose + Glucose)
What are the properties of disaccharides? (5 properties)
- Combination of two monosaccharides
- Crystalline
- Sweet taste
- Water-soluble
- Must be broken down into monosaccharides before they can be absorbed in the body and used for energy
Recap Question
1. How many sugar molecules in monosaccharides and disaccharides?
2. What are the 3 most common monosaccharides and disaccharides?
- Monosaccharide = Single sugar molecule
Disaccharide = 2 sugar molecules combined - Monosaccharide (Glucose, Galactose, Fructose)
Disaccharide (Sucrose, Lactose, Maltose)
What is polysaccharide?
Polysaccharide are complex carbohydrates that have many monosaccharides that are linked together by glycosidic bonds
What are examples of polysaccharides? (4 examples)
- Glycogen
- Starch
- Cellulose
- Chitin
What polysaccharide can be found in animals?
Glycogen
What polysaccharide can be found in plants? (2 types)
Starch and Cellulose
What polysaccharide can be found in insects?
Chitin
What polysaccharides are for energy storage? (2 types)
Glycogen and Starch
What are branched structures?
Branched structures allows greater points of access by enzymes to act on it and break
What are long, unbranched chains?
Long, unbranched chains provide greater strength and are difficult to break
What is cellulose for?
Cellulose is for structural support in plants
What is chitin for?
Chitin makes up the exoskeleton in insects
Which structure is stronger and weaker? (unbranched, branched)
Stronger => Unbranched
Weaker => Branched
What are the properties of polysaccharides? (3 properties)
- Not sweet in taste
- Insoluble in water
- Do not form crystals
What are the two groups polysaccharide can be divided into?
Polysaccharides may be a homopolysaccharide or a heteropolysaccharide depending on their monosaccharide components
What does homopolysaccharide consist of?
A homopolysaccharide consists of same types of monosaccharide (glucose)
What does heteropolysacchride consist of?
A heteropolysaccharide consists of different types of monosaccharides (many glucose and fructose)
What are the biological roles of lipids? (4 roles)
- Form cell membrane around our cells
- Phopholipids, Sphingolipids and Cholesterol - Act as energy stores and are broken down to generate ATP (energy)
- Triacylglycerols (Fats, Triglycerides) - Hormones
- Steroids - Vitamins
What do phospholipids consist of?
1 glycerol + 2 fatty acid chains (hydrophobic tail) + 1 phosphate group (hydrophilic head)
What is hydrophilic and which group is it from?
Hydrophilic means likes water, and is from phosphate group
What is hydrophobic and which group is it from?
Hydrophobic means hates water, and is from fatty acid group
What do cell membranes mainly consist of?
Phospholipids
What are the two parts of phospholipids?
- Polar phosphate “head”
- Two non-polar fatty acid “tails”
What are some terms in the cell membrane? (9 examples)
- Glycoprotein
- Glycolipid
- Transmembrane protein
- Integral protein
- Peripheral protein
- Cholesterol
- Hydrophilic heads
- Hydrophobic tails
- Phospholipid bilayer
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is just another lipid found in the plasma membrane
Why is cholesterol an important part of a healthy body?
It is because cholesterol is used as part of the cell membranes, and also as part of some hormones
What is high level of cholesterol in the blood called and what does it lead to?
Hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, which can lead to heart attacks
Cholesterol like other fats cannot dissolve in the blood. How are they transported?
They have to be transported to and from the cells by special lipid carriers called lipoproteins
What are the two types of lipoproteins?
- Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL)
- High Density Lipoprotein (HDL)
What is a “Bad” cholesterol?
Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL)
What is a “Good” cholesterol?
High Density Lipoprotein (HDL)
What is Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL)?
The major cholesterol carried in the blood
What happens when a person has too much LDL cholesterol in the blood?
It can slowly build up within the walls of the arteries. together with other substances it can form plaque which clogs those arteries. This condition is known as arteriosclerosis (increase risk of heart attack)
What does a high LDL level mean?
It indicates that there is a greater risk of heart attack
What is High Density Lipoprotein (HDL)?
HDL removes excess cholesterol from arteriosclerosis plaques and thus slows their deposit