Chapter 3: Biochemistry

Question 1

Describe chemistry of carbon (2)

Answer 1

1. Carbon forms backbone of many organic compounds.
2. Carbon can bond with (H, O, and N) to complete valence shell.

Question 2

List the 5 functional groups

Answer 2

1. Hydroxyl (-OH)
2. Carboxyl (-COOH)
3. Amino (-NH2)
4. Methyl (-CH3)
5. Phosphate (-PO4 2-)

Question 3

What does hydroxyl do?

Answer 3

Involved in dehydration synthesis and hydrolysis reactions, and hydrogen bonding.

Question 4

What does carboxyl do?

Answer 4

It is a component of organic acids.

Question 5

What do Amino groups do?

Answer 5

They are a component of all amino acids, help build proteins.

Question 6

What do methyl groups do?

Answer 6

They are a component of all fatty acids.

Question 7

What do all phosphate groups do?

Answer 7

They are a component of all phospholipids and nucleotides.

Question 8

Define: Monomers

Answer 8

Single units, which join together via dehydration synthesis to form polymers.

Question 9

Define: Polymers

Answer 9

Long strings of repeating single units.

Question 10

What is the chemical composition of a carbohydrate?

Answer 10

(CH2O)n

Question 11

What makes carbohydrates polar and what does that allow them to do?

Answer 11

-OH makes them polar

Allows them to dissolve in water. But they are very heavy to store (fat more efficient).

Question 12

What are monosaccharides, and what 2 groups are they broken down into?

Answer 12

They are individual sugar units.

Units –> Hexose Sugars + Pentose sugars

Question 13

Name the 3 hexose (6 carbon) sugars.

Answer 13

1. Glucose (liver + muscles)
2. Fructose (plants)
3. Glactose (dairy)

Question 14

Name 2 pentose (5 carbon) sugars.

Answer 14

1. Deoxyribose (DNA Backbone)
2. Ribose (RNA backbone)

Question 15

What are 3 disaccharides?

Answer 15

1. Lactose (glactose + glucose)
2. Sucrose (Glucose + fructose)
3. Maltose (Glucose + Glucose)

Question 16

Define: Polysaccharides

Answer 16

3 or more monosaccharides linked by a glycosidic bond.

Question 17

What are 3 polysaccharide types?

Answer 17

1. Starches (easy to digest plant sugar polymers)
2. Cellulose (Indigestible plant sugar polymers)
3. Glycogen (Body storage of excess glucose, little obtained from diet)

Question 18

What are 3 functions of carbohydrates?

Answer 18

1. Provide energy
2. Structural elements of DNA + RNA
3. Help form glycocalyx

Question 19

Define: Glycocalyx

Answer 19

Coating on cells’ membranes that ID cells as their own and not pathogens/diseased cells.

Question 21

What is the primary polymer of stored carbohydrates in the body?

Answer 21

Glycogen