CHEMICALS OF LIFE Flashcards
What are the compounds found in the body of living organisms
Chemicals of life
What elements are carbohydrates made of
Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen (1:2:1)
Classes of carbohydrates
Monosaccharides,(oligosaccharides) disaccharides, polysaccharides, muco-polysaccharide
Monosaccharides are of 2 types namely
Pentose(5 carbon atoms), hexose( 6 carbon atoms)
Examples of pentoses are
Ribose & deoxyribose
Examples of hexose are
Glucose(dextrose, grape sugar) , fructose(nebulose,fruit sugar)
CH2OH
|
C ——– O H
H / | \ |
| H
C OH H C
| \ | | / |
C —— C
| |
H OH
Is the structure of
Glucose
Examples of disaccharides
Sucrose(glucose&fructose), lactose (glucose & galactose), Maltose(glucose &glucose)
Sources of various disaccharides
Maltose (breakdown of starch)
Lactose(milk)
Sucrose(sugar beet)
Examples of polysaccharides and where they are found
Cellulose(cell wall),
lignin(cell walls of older plants),
chitin(exoskeleton, cell wall of some plants like yeast),
starch
Muco-polysaccharides are found where
In bacteria cell wall
Why are Amino acids are said to be amphoteric
They have carboxylic(acid) and amino(basic) groups
What elements make up proteins
Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen sulphur(in some cases)
Why is Fat is a triglyceride
It is an Easter of glycerol and three fatty acids
Why are Triglyceride fats not natural
They have no free acid or basic group
Examples of lipids are
Fats, waxes, phospholipids, carotenoids, sterol
What are phosphoric acids
Thay are types of lipids that contain phosphorus, they are made up of three hydroxyl groups from glycerol, 2 fatty acids and one phosphoric group
What is the simplest form of phospholipids
Phosphaditic acids
What is lecithin
It’s a type of phospholid and it’s found in the cell membrane, it helps to maintain balance between the inner and outer medium of a cell, and it allows fat soluble materials to dissolve in it because of hydrophobic compound
What are waxes
They are examples of lipids that are esters of aliphatic alcohol and fatty acids(C24 - C30 -C36)
What are amphipathic lipids
They are lipids with hydrophobic and hydrophilic parts
What are the main characteristics of sterols
They have free hydroxyl groups, high solubility in fat solvents and they are amphipathic.
Examples are cholesterol(in vertebrates),
Beta-sitosterol(in plant cells), ergosterol(in fungi)
What are cell walls made of
Cellulose, gelatinous materials, wax
What are the functions of the cell wall
It gives rigidity, elasticity, and form to the cell, it protects the cell
What is autolysis/celldigestion
It is the process whereby a cell breaksdown due to the enzymes of the lysosome
Describe the structure of the cell membrane
It has a phospholipid bi layer which has protein
Where are membranes(cell membrane) found in the cell
Nucleus, around the cell, the mitochondria, endoplasmic recticulum, lysosomes
What are the functions of the cell membrane
It controls entry and exit of material, it provides support, it is the barrier between the interior and exterior of the cell ,it enables formation of distinct organelles
What are the functions of ribosomes
They synthesize protein and are also involved in some fat metabolism
What are ribosomes composed of
RNA and proteins
What does the lysosome do
It breaks down worn out cells
Describe the centrosome
It is made up of a granular interior (centriole), a condensed cytoplasm (centrosphere), it’s found closed to the nucleus, it is important in forming spindle fibres during cell division
What are the types of plastids
Chromoplast(yellow(xantophyll) and orange-red(carotene) pigments), chloroplast(green pigments(chlorophyll A and B in the ratio 3:1), leucoplast(no pigment)
