Lecture 3: Building Blocks of Cells

Question 1

Name the steps from building blocks to organelles.

Answer 1

Building blocks - Macromolecules - Supramolecular Assemblies - Organelles

Question 2

What are the building blocks?

Answer 2

Amino Acids, Nucleotides, Simple Carbohydrates, Hydrocarbon Rings, Glycerol, Fatty Acids.

Question 3

What are the macromolecules?

Answer 3

Protein, Complex Carbohydrates, Nucleic Acids (DNA and RNA), Lipids.

Question 4

What is the building block of proteins?

Answer 4

Amino acids

Question 5

What is the building block of complex carbohydrates?

Answer 5

Simple carbohydrates such as glucose.

Question 6

What is the building block of nucleic acids?

Answer 6

Nucleotides, containing bases A-T, C-G in DNA and A-U, C-G in RNA.

Question 7

What is the building blocks of Lipids?

Answer 7

Hydrocarbon Rings, Glycerol, Fatty Acids.

Question 8

How do lipids differ from the other macromolecules?

Answer 8

Lipids are not polymers like the rest of the macromolecules.

Question 9

What is the reaction called which joins the monomers together?

Answer 9

Dehydration reactions, releases water molecule.

Question 10

What is the process called which breaks the monomers down?

Answer 10

Hydrolysis.

Question 11

What are the four levels of carbohydrates? How many monosaccharides does each one have?

Answer 11

Monosaccharides (1)
Disaccharides (2)
Oligosaccharides (3-10)
Polysaccharides (11+)

Question 12

What are some examples of polysaccharides and where are they found?

Answer 12

Cellulose, found in the cell wall of plants.
Glycogen, found in animals.
Starch, found in plants.

Question 13

Explain the function of a complex carbohydrate, energy and energy storage.

Answer 13

Energy and Energy Storage - complex carbs are efficient sources of energy which fuel muscle contraction, broken down into smaller sugars when consumed. Leftover is then converted into glycogen so it can be stored.

Question 14

Explain the function of a complex carbohydrate, recognition.

Answer 14

Complex carbs coat the surface of cells and have potential to carry the information necessary for cell-cell recognition.

Question 15

What are the three functions of a carbohydrate?

Answer 15

Energy / Energy Storage, Recognition and Structure

Question 16

Explain the function of a complex carbohydrate, structure?

Answer 16

cellulose a polysaccharide is used as a cell wall.

Question 17

What is the function of a protein?

Answer 17

Proteins have many various functions due to the variety of amino acids. However, one of the most important is a type of natural catalyst called an enzyme. Enzymes in the human body facilitate specific reactions.

Question 18

What is a common feature of all lipids?

Answer 18

All lipids are hydrophobic, water hating.

Question 19

What are the functions of lipids?

Answer 19

Structural, Regulatory and Energy

Question 20

Explain the function of lipids, energy.

Answer 20

Lipids can also be stored for energy, infact lipids usually exceed the amount of glycogen energy as the body simply can’t store as much glycogen as lipids.

Question 21

Explain the function of lipids, regulation.

Answer 21

Some lipids regulate specific biological processes such as tissue repair, blood clotting and inflammation

Question 22

Explain the function of lipids, structure.

Answer 22

Cholesterol and Phospholipids provide structure in the cell wall.