Exam 2 Flashcards
List the 4 major classes biomolecules
- Carbohydrates
- Proteins
- Nucleic Acid
- Lipids
Define monomer
is a small molecule that can chemically bond with other monomers to form a polymer.
Define polymer
is a large molecule made up of repeating units (monomers) covalently bonded together.
Why is a lipid not a monomer?
they are not built from repeating monomers. They are a diverse group of molecules, including fats, phospholipids, and steroids, which do not form long chains
Difference between dehydration and hydrolysis reactions
Dehydration Reaction: Also known as a condensation reaction, this is a chemical reaction in which two molecules covalently bond with the loss of a water molecule. It is how monomers are joined together to form polymers.
Hydrolysis Reaction: This is the reverse of a dehydration reaction. It involves the breaking of a covalent bond with the addition of a water molecule. It is how polymers are broken down into their monomers.
Carbohydrate
Atomic Composition: Made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a 1:2:1 ratio.
Functional Groups: Hydroxyl (-OH) groups.
They are hydrophilic.
Main Functions:
- Provide energy for cellular activities (glucose).
- Serve as structural components (cellulose in plant cell walls).
Proteins
Atomic Composition: Made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sometimes sulfur.
Functional Groups: Amino (-NH2) and carboxyl (-COOH) groups. Variable R groups define different amino acids. Hydrophilic or hydrophobic depending on the R group.
Main Functions:
- Enzymatic reactions, structural support, transport, signaling, movement, and defense.
Nucleic Acid
Atomic Composition: Made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
Functional Groups: Phosphate groups (-PO4) and nitrogenous bases (adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine/uracil). Hydrophilic.
Main Functions:
DNA stores genetic information, RNA serves in protein synthesis and other cellular functions.
Lipids
Atomic Composition: Primarily carbon and hydrogen, with some oxygen.
Functional Groups: Varied, but they often include long hydrocarbon chains or rings. Hydrophobic.
Main Functions:
Energy storage, cell membrane structure (phospholipids), insulation, and signaling molecules (steroids).
Define/Example of Monosaccharide
- Glucose
- Fructose
- The general molecular formula for a monosaccharide is (CH2O)
Define/Example of Disaccharide
- Sucrose (Glucose + Fructose)
- Lactose (Glucose + Galactose)
- Maltose (Glucose + Glucose)
Define/Example of polysaccharide
- Starch (found in plants for energy storage)
- Glycogen (found in animals for energy storage)
- Cellulose (found in plant cell walls for structure)
- Chitin (found in the exoskeletons of arthropods and insects).
Difference between a ribose sugar and a deoxyribose sugar
Ribose sugar has a hydroxyl group (-OH) attached to its 2’ carbon, while deoxyribose lacks this group, hence the name “deoxy.”
Carbons in monosaccharides are numbered. Use glucose as an example to number the carbons in the chain &
ring structural formulas.
- In the chain form, the carbons are numbered from 1 to 6. Carbon 1 is the carbonyl carbon.
- In the ring form, the anomeric carbon (where the ring is formed) is also carbon 1.
Use the ring structural formula to explain the key difference between the α- and β-glucose.
- The key difference lies in the orientation of the hydroxyl group attached to the anomeric carbon (carbon 1) in the ring structure.
- In α-glucose, the -OH group is below the ring, while in β-glucose, it is above the ring.
Identify the covalent bond that links two monosaccharides together and describe how it is formed.
- The covalent bond that links two monosaccharides together is a glycosidic bond. It is formed through a dehydration (condensation) reaction, where a hydroxyl group from one sugar molecule combines with a hydrogen atom from the other, resulting in the release of a water molecule.
What is the most common monomer for polysaccharide?
Glucose
List the four examples of polysaccharides and state
where each would be found
Starch: Found in plants for energy storage (e.g., potatoes, grains).
Glycogen: Found in animals for energy storage (stored in liver and muscles).
Cellulose: Found in plant cell walls for structure (dietary fiber in humans).
Chitin: Found in the exoskeletons of arthropods and insects.
Compare the structure of starch with that of cellulose. What are the dietary implications of the difference?
Starch:
Helical structure.
Digestible by humans due to the α-linkages.
Used for energy storage in plants.
Cellulose:
Straight-chain structure.
Indigestible by humans due to the β-linkages.
Provides structural support in plant cell walls and dietary fiber for humans.
Dietary implication: Humans lack the enzymes needed to break down cellulose, so it provides bulk to our diet (fiber) without contributing calories. Starch, on the other hand, is a source of energy.
What is the characteristic used to classify a molecule as a lipid?
- Consists of mostly hydrocarbons
- Hydrophobic
How do you identify a molecule as a fatty acid?
Fatty acids are long hydrocarbon chains with a carboxyl group (-COOH) at one end. They can be identified by this carboxyl group.
What is saturated fat acid “saturated” with?
A saturated fatty acid is “saturated” with hydrogen atoms. This means there are no double bonds between the carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon chain.
Name the components needed to build a triglyceride
A triglyceride is formed from three fatty acids and one glycerol molecule through a dehydration (esterification) reaction.
Distinguish between a saturated and an unsaturated fat and list some unique emergent properties that are a consequence of these structural differences
Saturated Fat:
- Have no double bonds in their hydrocarbon chains.
- Tend to be solid at room temperature.
- Found in animal products and some plant oils (e.g., coconut oil, butter).
Unsaturated Fat:
- Have one or more double bonds in their hydrocarbon chains.
- Tend to be liquid at room temperature.
- Found in seeds, nuts, and fish.
Emergent Properties:
Unsaturated fats have kinks in their structure due to double bonds, which prevent them from packing closely together. This leads to a lower melting point and a liquid state at room temperature.
How do triglyceride and phospholipid differ structurally?
Triglyceride:
- Consists of three fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule.
- Used primarily for energy storage.
Phospholipid:
- Consists of two fatty acids, a glycerol molecule, and a
phosphate group.
- Has a hydrophilic (polar) “head” and two hydrophobic (nonpolar) “tails”.
- Forms the basic structure of cell membranes due to its amphipathic nature.
What unique property that arises from the phospholipid structure leads to its main function?
Phospholipids can spontaneously form bilayers in aqueous environments, creating a semi-permeable barrier that forms the basis of cellular membranes.
How do you identify a molecule as a steroid? Note an example.
- Steroids are characterized by their four interconnected carbon rings. They often have specific functional groups attached.
- An example of a steroid is cholesterol, a crucial molecule in cell membranes and a precursor for various other molecules like hormones.
Summarize the functions of nucleic acids.
Nucleic acids, specifically DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid), are responsible for the storage, transmission, and expression of genetic information in living organisms
Identify, with a drawing, the three components found in a nucleotide and explain the differences between the DNA & RNA nucleotide.
A nucleotide is composed of three components:
- A nitrogenous base (either a purine or a pyrimidine).
A five-carbon sugar (deoxyribose in DNA, ribose in RNA).
- A phosphate group.
The key difference between DNA and RNA nucleotides lies in the sugar molecule: deoxyribose in DNA and ribose in RNA.
What is the difference between a purine and a pyrimidine?
Purine: Purines are larger, double-ringed nitrogenous bases. The two purines found in nucleic acids are adenine (A) and guanine (G).
Pyrimidine: Pyrimidines are smaller, single-ringed nitrogenous bases. The three pyrimidines found in nucleic acids are cytosine (C), thymine (T) in DNA, and uracil (U) in RNA.
Describe how the nucleotides are linked to form a polynucleotide.
Nucleotides are linked together through a phosphodiester bond between the phosphate group of one nucleotide and the sugar of the next. This forms a sugar-phosphate backbone.
The nitrogenous bases extend from this backbone, creating the “rungs” of the DNA or RNA ladder, which are bonded together by hydrogen bonds. Adenine (A) always pairs with thymine (T) in DNA or uracil (U) in RNA, and guanine (G) always pairs with cytosine (C).
What are the biologically important functions of Proteins
Proteins have various crucial functions in living organisms, including:
- Enzymatic catalysis.
- Structural support.
- Transport of substances.
- Cell signaling and communication.
- Immune defense.
- Movement (via muscle proteins).
- Regulation of gene expression (transcription factors).
Identify, with a drawing, the four components found in an amino acid. What do all amino acids have in
common? How do they differ? Which feature is used to group them into several general categories?
Amino acids have four components:
- A central carbon atom (α-carbon).
- An amino group (-NH2).
- A carboxyl group (-COOH).
- A side chain (R group), which varies among different amino acids.
All amino acids share these common components, but they differ in the structure of their side chains.
The side chain (R group) is the feature used to group amino acids into several general categories (e.g., nonpolar, polar, charged).