Lecture 3 (Macromolecules) Flashcards
What is a macromolecule?
Very large molecules built by polymerisation of building blocks
What are the 5 macromolecules?
Proteins DNA RNA complex carbohydrates lipids
What are the 4 building blocks of cells?
Amino acids
Nucleobases
Simple carbohydrates
Lipids
What are the 4 ‘levels’ of carbohydrates?
Monosaccharides
Disaccharides
Oligosaccharides
Polysaccharides
Example of a monosaccharide
Hexose, Pentose
How to you build a disaccharide?
Combine two monosaccharides together
What are some examples of plant/animal carbohydrates ?
Plants: Starch, Cellulose
Animals: Glycogen
What are the two different structures of starch that can exist?
Amylopectin - Branched
Amylose - Linear
Functions of Carbohydrates
Recognition
Structure
Energy
How is energy stored in the form of a carbohydrate in animals and plants?
Plants: starch
Animals: Glycogen
Are lipids polymers?
No, they are all individual molecules
Properties of Lipids
Individual molecules
Hydrophobic
Functions of Lipids
Structural in Cholesterol and Phospholipids
Regulatory - testosterone, estradiol
Energy - triacyglycerol
What is the purpose for Nucleic Acids?
They act as information carrying molecules
What are the components makes up a nucleic acid?
Phosphate group
Ribose/deoxyribose sugar
Base