Exam 3 - Biochemistry Flashcards
What is a carbohydrate? What are it’s monomers?
- A polyhydroxylated macromolecule that is the main biological energy source
- Sugars
What is a protein? What are it’s monomers?
- Responsible for essential biologic functions such as DNA replication, reactions, membrane transport
- Amino acids
What is a lipid? What are it’s monomers?
- Hydrophobic structures responsible for membrane structure and storage
- Fatty acids
What is a nucleic acid? What are it’s monomers?
- Responsible for storage and transfer of genetic information
- Nucleotides
How are carbohydrates named? Their subunits? The 2 different types?
- -ose suffix
- Mono, di, and polysaccharides
- Simple sugars: straight chains
- Complex sugars: sugars with branch chains
How do you classify/name a carbohydrate?
- Carbonyl type: Aldehyde or ketone
- Carbon number: 3 = triose, 4=tetrose, 5=pentose, 6=hexose
- Stereoisomer: look at the last hydroxyl group. On right side = D, on left side = L
What is the anomeric carbon?
The carbon that was formally attached to the carbonyl group, always numbered the 1 carbon
How does a fischer projection become a haworth projection?
The bottom hydroxyl group will attack the carbonyl carbon forming an O bond in the ring.
How do you orient groups when going from fischer to haworth?
The hydroxyl groups not involved in bonding: on the right in fischer will be down in haworth. On the left in fischer, will be up in haworth.
The hydroxymethyl group: if D in fischer will face up in haworth, if L in fischer will be down in haworth.
What determines orientation of the anomeric carbon? How do you tell the difference?
- Wheter the hydroxyl group attacks the carbonyl carbon from above or below
- alpha anomer: hydroxyl group points down
- beta anomer: hydroxyl group points up
Alpha symbol looks like a fish (down)
Beta = bird (up)
How are saccharides connections named when attached to one another?
Determine orientation of anomeric carbon, then what number carbon it is attached to on the other saccharide.
Anomeric carbon always 1, O always last number
What is the structure of an amino acid? How is it named?
- Contains an amine, carboxylic acid, and a side chain
- Uses common naming conventions
- Stereoisomers: Amine on right side or dash = D amino acid; Amine on left side or wedge = L amino acid
What are the N and C terminus of a peptide sequence?
N-terminus: the beginning amine functional group of first AA in sequence
C-terminus: ending carboxylic acid of last AA in peptide sequence
What is a peptide?
Sequence of multiple amino acids fragments
What is a peptide bond?
How many amino acids make up this peptide?
9
What is the primary protien structure?
Sequence of amino acids
What is the secondary structure of a protein?
The fixed arrangement of the polypeptide containing alpha helix and beta sheets.
What stabilizes alpha helix and beta sheets?
Alpha helix: intrAmolecular H bonding
Beta sheet: intermolecular H bonding
What is the tertiary structure of protein?
The unique 3D structure caused by bending and folding of protein backbone
What is the quarternary structure of a protein?
The arranement of multiple subunits of proteins.
What are lipids? What are their functions?
They are made of primarily hydrocarbons used for energy storage, membrane structure, and chemical signaling.
What is the difference between a saturated and unsaturated fatty acid?
What are the components of a fatty acid?
- Saturated: maximum hydrogens with no double bonds
- Unsaturated: contains double bonds
- 10-22 carbon tail
- carboxylic acid head
What is a eicosanoid?
Structurally related hormone-like molecules made from arachidonic acid.
Prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and thromboxanes
What is a glyceride and its function?
- Biomolecules containing a 3 membered glycerol backbone with a fatty acid
- Used for energy storage and lipid bilayers
What do lipoproteins do?
carry fats/cholesterol around the body
What are glycolipids and their function?
Lipids with a bound carbohydrate attached the ECF membrane of cells.
They maintain stability, facilitate interactions, and are sites for viruses to enter the cell.
What is the structure of nucleic acids and their function?
- Heteroaromatic base, ribose sugar, and phosphate group
- Used in DNA and RNA
