Digestive system key terms Flashcards
Starch
A plant carbohydrate used to store energy
Glycogen
An animal carbohydrate used to store energy
Macromolecules
They are large molecules, necessary for life, that are built from smaller organic molecules
Disaccharide
A sugar formed by the joining of two monosaccharide subunits
Polysaccharide
A carbohydrate composed of many single sugar subunits
Benedict’s test
Used to test for sugars. For a positive test the resulting colour must be green to an orangish red.
Iodine test
Used to test for starch. Wait for it to turn to a bluish black for a positive test.
Lipids
They are made up of three fatty acids and one glycerol. They are for insulation and energy storage. They also make up cell walls. They are also called triglycerides.
Fatty acid and glycerol
This is what a lipid is made up of
Cellulose
A plant polysaccharide that makes up plant cell walls
Saturated fats
They are animal based fats. They are solid at room temperature and contains as many h atoms as possible.
Unsaturated fats
They are plant based oils. They are liquid at room temperature. They lack some h atoms and are naturally healthier that saturated fats.
Triglycerides
A lipid composed of glycerol and three fatty acids
Translucence test
This is to test for fats. You need to use brown paper and wait for 15 minutes and see if there’s a translucent mark. If there is than that is a solid fat.
Protein
Assemble from smaller subunits called amino acids. They function as structural support, storage, transport,
cellular communications, movement, defence against foreign substances. Their function is determined by their shape and their shape can become denatured by heat.
Amino acid
A chemical that contains nitrogen; can be linked together to form proteins.
Biuret test
This is a test for proteins. For a positive test you will have to wait for it to turn into a purple colour.
Vitamins/Coenzymes
An organic molecule synthesized from a vitamin that helps an enzyme to combine with a substrate molecule.
Mineral/Cofactor
An inorganic ion that helps an enzyme combine with a substrate molecule.
Pancreatic amylase
It’s an enzyme made by your pancreas that helps your body break down carbohydrates
Fat soluble
A vitamin that can dissolve in fats and oils
Water soluble
A vitamin that can dissolve in water
Peptidases
Enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of peptides or peptones to amino acids
Carbohydrase
The name of a set of enzymes that catalyze 5 types of reactions, turning carbohydrates into simple sugars
Enzymes
A protein catalyst that allows reactions to occur faster by lowering the amount of energy needed for it to occur
Catalyst
A chemical that speeds up a reaction without being used up
Activation energy
the minimum amount of energy that is required to activate atoms or molecules to a condition in which they can undergo chemical transformation or physical transport
Catabolism
It’s what happens when you digest food and the molecules break down in the body for use as energy. Large, complex molecules in the body are broken down into smaller, simple ones.
Anabolism
In this process, small, simple molecules are built up into larger, more complex ones
Substrate
A molecule that is changed when it fits into an enzyme
Active site
the area of the enzyme that fits around the substrate(s)