lecture 1 Flashcards
Cells, biomolecules
every living organism is made up of what six elements?
Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous, sulphur
Valence?
the number of covalent bonds it can form
What do biomolecules vary by?
Their functional group attached to their carbon chain
How are carbohydrates, proteins and nucleic acids formed?
the stepwise polymerization of monomers
are lipids polymers?
no, but they are classified as macromolecules due to their high molecular weight.
General formula of a carbohydrate?
(CH2O)n
Dehydration/ condensation reaction
synthesizing a polymer
Hydrolysis
Breaking down a polymer
What are polysaccharides?
Are long polymers of repeating monosaccharide units
What are monosaccharides ?
Simple sugars that are either aldehydes or ketones
What suffix is used to form the names of sugars?
- ose
What are the cellular functions of carbohydrates?
Structural eg. chitin, cellulose
Source of carbon and energy
What are the functions of a polysaccharide determined by ?
Its sugar monomers and the position of its glycosidic linkages.
Which can humans digest- starch or cellulose?
starch
Do lipids mix with water?
No, they are hydrophobic
What are the most biologically important lipids?
Fats, phospholipids and steroids
Cellular functions of lipids?
Components of membranes, can act as signalling molecules, energy storage
What are saturated fats saturated with?
Hydrogen
Why are unsaturated fats not saturated with hydrogen?
Because of the carbon double bond
What forms the core of the phospholipid bilayer?
Hydrophobic tails
What are proteins polymers of?
Amino acids
Where does the difference in proteins come from?
The R group - the side chain
Function of enzymatic proteins?
Selective acceleration of chemical reactions
eg. digestive enzymes
Function of defensive proteins?
Protection against disease
eg. antibodies
Function of storage proteins?
Storage of amino acids
eg. casein
Function of transport proteins?
Transport of substances
eg. hemoglobin
Function of hormonal proteins?
Coordination of an organisms activities
eg. insulin
Function of receptor proteins?
Response of cell to chemical stimuli
Function of contractile and motor proteins?
Movement
eg. actin and myosin (muscles)
Function of structural proteins?
Support
eg. keratin
How can proteins have so many functions?
The specific sequence of amino acids allow for diverse structures which creates diverse functions
What are the two types of nucleic acids?
Deoxyribonucleic acid
Ribonucleic acid
What are DNA and RNA polymers of?
Nucleotides
Where are genes located?
chromosomes in the nucleus
What are nucleotides made up of?
a nitrogen-containing base
a five carbon sugar (pentose)
a phosphate group
What contains the information in DNA?
the bases
