Chpt 1 Biochem & The Language of Chem Flashcards
what are macromolecules?
giant molecules made up of smaller subunits
WHY are macromolecules?
the complexity of life processes requires that the molecules governing them be enormous
what are the 4 major classes of macromolecules?
proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids
what are proteins?
polymers made of amino acids
what are nucleic acids?
polymers that are made of nucleotides
what are lipids?
any of a diverse group of organic compounds that are grouped together because they do not interact appreciably with water.
exp. fats, oils, hormones, and certain components of membranes
what are carbohydrates?
a large group of organic compounds consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen which can be typically broken down into monomers to release energy in living beings
what are monomers?
molecules of any of a class of compounds, mostly organic, that can react with other molecules to form very large molecules called polymers.
what does it mean to polymerize a bunch of monomers?
it means to link them together in a chain
what role does condensation have in polymerization?
condensation involves removing a water molecule from the monomers in order to make them join together to form a chain (via polymerization)
what is a homopolymer?
a polymer made of a bunch of the same monomer
exp. a polysaccharide is completely composed of a bunch of saccharides, so it is a homopolymer
what is a residue?
a single unit that makes up a polymer, such as an amino acid in a polypeptide or protein.
what is a homopolymer?
a polymer made of a bunch of the same monomer
exp. a polysaccharide is completely composed of a bunch of saccharides, so it is a homopolymer
what is a heteropolymer?
a polymer made of a bunch of different kinds of monomers
what are nucleotides?
organic compounds in which nitrogen-containing unit (base) is linked to a sugar and a phosphate group
what do you call a chain of proteins?
polypeptide
what do you call a chain/a bunch of nucleic acids?
polynucleotide
why are nucleic acids also called polynucleotides?
because they are made of a bunch of linked nucleotides
what do you call a chain of proteins?
polypeptide
why are protein chains called polypeptides?
because they are held together by peptide bonds
what is a peptide bond?
a bond that holds 2 amino acids together
what’s the most important thing proteins are used for?
Making enzymes (which catalyze chemical reactions in the organism’s individual cells)
what is a phospholipid?
a lipid where one of the fatty acid chains has been replaced by a phosphorus containing molecule (which has a positive and negative charge on it)
exp. phosphatidylserine
