Lecture 1 Flashcards
What are examples of small molecules?
Sugars, amino acids, nucleotides, carboxylic acid derivatives
What do small molecules act as?
Building blocks for macromolecules
What are macromolecules?
Proteins (chains of amino acids), Polysaccharides (chains of simple sugars), Nucleic acids (chains of nucleotides)
What is an example of a macromolecule?
Myoglobin (protein) that stores O2 in muscle tissue
How large is a protein molecule?
10, 000 to 100,000 g mol
What is protein size expressed in?
kiloDalton
What is 1 Dalton (Da) equal to?
1 g mol
What is 1 kDa equal to?
1000 g mol
What are amide bonds?
Two different functional groups reacting with each other
What are proteins linked by?
Peptide Bonds (type of amide bond)
What does each protein have?
A unique sequence of different amino acids
A well defined size and structure
What are the diverse functions of proteins?
Catalyzing reactions (enzymes)
Forming complex sub cellular structures
What does each amino acid have?
An amino group and a carboxylate acid group and a different side chain
How many different amino acids are found in proteins?
20 different amino acids
Which amino acid is not chiral?
Glycine
The central carbon in all amino acids except one is?
Chiral
What are the designated D and L Versions of Each other?
Enantinomer (mirror images)
What configuration are the amino acids in proteins found in?
L configuration
What does L configuration mean?
Amino is found on LHS
What does D configuration mean?
Amino is found on RHS
What is a condensation reaction?
The removal of water to form bonds
What is a hydrolysis reaction?
The addition of water to break bonds
What does the C = O of the amide allow for?
A water attack due to it being the point of weakness
What is the N-terminus?
The Amino-terminal end
What is the C-terminus?
The Carboxyl Terminal end
What does the combination of different side chains R1, R2, R3 give each protein?
Its unique properties
What is a polypeptide?
A chain with many amino acids
What is an oligopeptide?
A chain with a few amino acids
What are amino acids in a protein chain known as?
Amino Acids “residues”
What is the average molecular weight of amino acids in proteins?
~128
What is then molecule of water removed to form peptide bond?
18
What is the average molecular weight of an amino acid residue in a protein?
128 - 18 = 110
How can the number of amino acid residues in a protein be estimated by?
Dividing the molecular weight of the protein by 110
What is the a - carbon?
The central backbone atom
What is the B-carbon?
The first atom of the side chain
