Important Biochemical Molecules

Question 1

Hydrophillic substances

Answer 1

Dissolve into water
Slightly negative oxygen attracts the slightly positive ions and the slightly positive hydrogen attracts the slightly negative ions

Question 2

Hydrophobic substances

Answer 2

Do not dissolve into water

Question 3

Acids

Answer 3

Ionize in water to form hydrogen ions

Question 4

Bases

Answer 4

Dissociate to form hydroxide ions

Question 5

Neutral solutions

Answer 5

Number of hydrogen ions = number of hydroxide ions

Question 6

Buffer

Answer 6

Mixture of chemicals that can neutralize small amounts of strong acids or bases
Blood contains carbonic acid-bicarbonate to maintain between 7.35 and 7.45

Question 7

Carbohydrates

Answer 7

Made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen

Most are excellent sources of energy

Question 8

Monosaccharide

Answer 8

Simple sugars made of a singular sugar unit

Monomer, can combine with similar molecules to form polymers, larger more complex compounds

Question 9

Disaccharide

Answer 9

2 monosaccharides are joined together through a synthesis reaction
glucose and a fructose combine causing them to be linked by an oxygen atom and creating water as a biproduct

Question 10

Polysaccharide/complex carbohydrates

Answer 10

Made of many sugar units linked together

Question 11

Lipids

Answer 11

Non-polar compounds that contain carbon, hyudrogen and oxygen
Percentage of carbon to hydrogen bonds is much higher

Question 12

Triglyceride

Answer 12

Class of Lipids
Form when a glycerol molecule bonds with 3 fatty acid chains in 3 dehydration synthesis reactions
Hydrogen from the glycerol links with the hydroxide from the fatty acids making 3 waters and the triglyceride
Whether it is liquid or solid depends on the number of double bonds
Saturated: no double bonds
Unsaturated: one or more double bonds

Question 13

Phospholipids

Answer 13

Make cell membranes

Made of a glycerol molecule connected to 2 fatty acids (hydrophobic) and a phosphate head (hydrophilic)

Question 14

Steroids

Answer 14

Lipid molecules with a 4 ring structures

Question 15

Waxes

Answer 15

Long, stable lipid molecules made of fatty acid chains attached to alcohol molecules or carbon rings

Question 16

Proteins

Answer 16

Made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen

Made of polypeptides (a polymer of amino acids)

Question 17

What is the structure of an amino acid?

Answer 17

Contain :
An amino group (NH2)
A carboxyl group (COOH, C is the central atom double bonded to an oxygen and bonded to an hydroxide)
A side chain of one or more carbon/hydrogen atoms
A hydrogen atom

Question 18

How do amino acids become Proteins

Answer 18

Dehydration reaction
Carboxyl group loses its hydroxide ion and the nitrogen loses a hydrogen atom creating a water and a protein
Called a peptide bond
Use of proteins depend on the shape
Denaturation: when a proteins shape changes
- can be caused by acids, bases, heat or salts

Question 19

Nucleic Acids

Answer 19

Large molecules that store genetic info and info about protein molecules
Made of nucleotides

Question 20

DNA

Answer 20

Deoxyribonucleic acid
4 nucleotides
- Adenine
- Cytosine
- Thymine
- Guanine
Adenine and Thymine pair up
Cytosine and Guanine pair up
DNA is the only molecule able to contain genes and replicate itself
Double helix structure with sugars on the sides

Question 21

What is a gene

Answer 21

A sequence of Nucleotides that controls the production of a protein
DNA can get mutated

Question 22

RNA

Answer 22

4 nucleotides
- Adenine
- Cytosine
- Guanine
- Uracil
Assists with the production of proteins

Question 23

What are the 4 types of RNA

Answer 23

Messenger (mRNA): takes genetic info from the nucleus to the ribosomes and informs the ribosomes of the order in which nucleotides are combined to make amino acids
Transfer (tRNA): matches the appropriate amino acid to the genetic code
Ribosomal (rRNA): makes part of the structure of ribosomes
Catalytic (cRNA): involved in speeding up biochemical reactions