Chapter 5 - Structure and Function of Macromolecules Flashcards
Con
= Together
Di
= Two
Glycol
= sweet
Hydro
= Water
Lyse
=Break
Macro
= Large
Mono
= Single
Sacchar
= Sugar
Poly
= Many
Tri
= Three
Alpha Helix
A spiral shape constituting one form of the secondary structure of proteins, arising from a specific hydrogen-bonding structure.
Amino Acid
An organic molecules possessing both carboxyl and amino groups.
Serve as the monomers of proteins.
Beta Pleated Sheet
One form of the secondary structure of proteins in which the polypeptide chain folds back and forth. two regions of the chain lie parallel to each other and are held together by hydrogen bonds.
Carbohydrate
A sugar(monosaccharide) or one of its dimers(disaccharides) or polymers(polysaccharides).
Cellulose
A structural polysaccharide of cell walls, consisting of glucose monomers joined by glycosidic linkages.
Cholesterol
A steroid that forms an essential component of animal cell membranes and acts as a precursor molecule for the synthesis of other biologically important steroids.
Dehydration Reaction
A chemical reaction in which two molecules covalently bond to each other with the removal of a water molecules.
Condensation Reaction
A reaction in which two molecules become covalently bonded to each other through the loss of a small molecule, usually water; also called a dehydration reaction.
Denaturation
In proteins, a process in which a protein unravels and loses its native conformation, there by becoming biologically inactive.
Occurs under extreme conditions of pH, salt concentration, and temperature.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid(DNA)
A double stranded, helical nucleic acid molecule capable of replicating and determining the inherited structure of a cells proteins.
Deoxyribose
The pentose sugar component of DNA.
Disaccharide
A double sugar, consisting of two monosaccharides joined by dehydration synthesis.
Disulfide Bridge
A strong covalent bond formed when the sulfur of one cysteine monomer bonds to the sulfur of another cysteine monomer.
Double Helix
The form of native DNA, referring to its two adjacent polynucleotide strands wound into a spiral shape.
Fat
A biological compound consisting of three fatty acids linked to one glycerol molecule.
Fatty Acid
A long hydrocarbon chain carboxylic acid. Fatty acids vary in length and in the number and location of double bonds; three fatty acids linked to a glycerol molecule form fat.
Glycogen
An extensively branched glucose storage polysaccharide found in the liver and muscle of animals.
The animal equivalent of starch.
Glycosidic Linkage
A covalent bond formed between two monosaccharides by a dehydration reaction.
Hydrolysis
A chemical process that lyses, or splits, molecules by the addition of water.
Lipid
One of a family of compounds, including fats, phospholipids, and steroids, that are insoluble in water.
Macromolecule
A giant molecule formed by the joining of smaller molecules, usually by a condensation reaction.
Polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids are macromolecules.
Monomer
The subunit that serves as the building block of a polymer.
Monosaccharide
The simpliest carbohydrate, active alone or serving as a monomer for disaccharides and polysaccharides.
Known as simple sugars, the molecular formulas are generally a multiple of CH2O.