Chemistry of Carbon & Macromolecules Flashcards
What is the process of polymerization?
Macromolecules are built by joining monomers together
What are the four major groups of macromolecules found in living thing?
carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids, and proteins
What elements are carbohydrates made of?
carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (1:2:1)
What is the function of carbohydrates?
Living things use them as their main source of energy
What are two types of carbohydrates, their names, and common forms?
- Simple Sugars (monosaccharides) found commonly in glucose, galactose, and fructose
- Complex Carbohydrates (polysaccharides) found in glycogen (animals) and starch (plants) as a way to as a way to store excess sugar
What are the function of lipids?
Can be used to store energy or important parts of biological membranes and waterproof coverings
What special characteristic do lipids have?
Not soluble in water
What elements are lipids made of?
Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
What are lipids common forms?
Fats, oils, and waxes
What are nucleic acids made of?
hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus
What is nucleic acid’s monomers known as?
Nucleotides
What do nucleotide consist of?
A 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogen base
What is the main function of nucleic acids?
Store and transmit genetic information
What are the polymers of nucleic acids?
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) containing the sugar ribose and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) containing the sugar deoxyribose
What elements are proteins made of?
Nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
