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BIOLOGY 201-0 - Molecular Biology > Lesson 1: Macromolecules > Flashcards

Lesson 1: Macromolecules Flashcards

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1
Q

What are macromolecules made of?

A

Macromolecules (and nearly all molecules) are based on carbon

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2
Q

What bonds do carbon form?

A
  • Carbon forms highly stable covalent bonds
  • It can link to other carbon atoms and produce rings and chains that can form the backbone of complex molecules
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3
Q

What is the most abundant macromolecule?

A

PROTEINS! (They make up 15% of the cell)

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4
Q

What are the monomers of carbohydrates/polysaccharides?

A

Sugars
- Intermediate molecule: oligosaccharide

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5
Q

What are the monomers of fats and membrane lipids?

A

Fatty acids

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6
Q

What are the monomers of proteins?

A

Amino acids
- Intermediate molecule: peptide

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7
Q

What are the monomers of nucleic acids?

A

Nucleotides
- Intermediate molecule: oligonucleotide

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8
Q

What bonds are the macromolecules (excluding lipids) linked by?

A

Covalent bonds

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9
Q

What is condensation?

A

Is an energetically unfavorable reaction (requires energy) where polymers are made. Water molecule is lost/prdocuced.

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10
Q

What is hydrolysis?

A

Is an energetically favorable reaction (energy is released) where polymers are broken down. A water molecule is required for hydrolysis to occur.

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11
Q

Do lipids perform condensation and hydrolysis reactions?

A

NO!

Only carbohydrates, proteins, and nucleic acids perform condensation and hydrolysis reactions.

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12
Q

What is the chemical formula for carbohydrates?

A

(C1H2O1)n

  • N can be 3, 4, 5, or 6
  • Note: If n is 3, 3-carbon is called a triose
    If n is 5, 5-carbon is called a pentose
    If n is 6, 6-carbon is called a hexose
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13
Q

What are the functions of carbohydrates?

A

1) Sources of stored energy
2) Can transport chemical energy (energy stored in covalent bonds)
3) Can be used as carbon skeletons for many other molecules

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14
Q

What type of structure do carbohydrates take in an aqueous solution?

A

Carbohydrates take on a RING structure in aqueous solutions

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15
Q

How is this ring structure formed in glucose?

A

Aldehyde (chemical group) reacts with Carbon-5 to form a ring

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16
Q

What is the carbohydrate polymer in animals called?

A

Glycogen

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17
Q

What is the carbohydrate polymer in plants called?

A

Starch

18
Q

Do polysaccharides have branched points?

A

YES!

Polysaccharides have branched points (not seen in the other macromolecule families)

19
Q

What is the covalent bond that binds monosaccharides together?

A

GLYCOSIDIC BONDS

  • Remember: Bonds are formed through condensation reactions where water is lost. This reaction is REVERSIBLE! Hydrolysis reactions can break glycosidic bonds and requires water as an input
20
Q

Where does the water come from when two monosaccharides are joined?

A

A hydroxyl group is lost from one monosaccharide and a hydrogen is lost from another monosaccharide forming the water molecule

21
Q

What are the different components of amino acids?

A
  1. Central carbon
  2. Amino group (H3N+)
  3. Carboxyl group (COO-)
  4. Single hydrogen
  5. The “R group” (aka side chain)

Note: 1-4 is considered the amino acid backbone (the same for each amino acid)
Note: There are 20 different R groups. So there are 20 different amino acids that make up proteins.

22
Q

How can you distinguish where the central carbon is?

A

The central carbon is ALWAYS attached to the R group

23
Q

What is the covalent bond that binds amino acids together?

A

PEPTIDE BONDS!

24
Q

Where does the water come from when two amino acids are joined?

A

An oxygen molecule from the carboxyl group (COO-) and two hydrogen molecules from the amino group (H3N+) form the water molecule

25
Q

How do polypeptides have polarity?

A

Polarity means distinct ends. Polypeptides have a N-terminus and a C-terminus. N-terminus is at the beginning and C-terminus is at the end.

-Note: Amino acids are added to the C-terminus

26
Q

Why are covalent bonds surrounding the central carbon flexible?

A

This flexibility allows the polypeptide chain to twist

27
Q

What does a nucleotide consist of?

A

Consists of a nitrogenous base, a five-carbon sugar, and one or more phosphate groups

28
Q

What is the function of a nucleic acid?

A

Nucleic acids carry genetic information in the sequence of its nucleotides

29
Q

What is the role of each of the carbons in the five-carbon sugar?

A

Carbon 1: connected to the nitrogenous base
Carbon 2: allows us to distinguish between DNA and RNA
Carbon 3: where another nucleotide is added
Carbon 5: not part of ring structure

30
Q

How does DNA differ from RNA?

A

1) DNA has thymine, while RNA has uracil
2) DNA has deoxyribose, while RNA has ribose

31
Q

What is a purine?

A

A double-ring base (adenine and guanine)

32
Q

What is a pyrimidine?

A

A single-ring base (cytosine, thymine, and uracil)

33
Q

How is deoxyribose different from ribose?

A

Deoxyribose lacks an OH group on the second carbon (only has a H atom). While ribose has an OH group on carbon 2

34
Q

What is the covalent bond that binds nucleotides together?

A

PHOSPHODIESTER BONDS

35
Q

Where does the water come from when two nucleotides are joined?

A

The OH group is lost from the sugar (carbon 3) and the H can come from the phosphate group or protons in the aqueous solution of the cell.

36
Q

How do nucleic acids have polarity?

A

Nucleic acids have a 5’ end (at the top) and a 3’ end (at the bottom)

Note: Nucleotides are added to the 3’ end

37
Q

Which carbons do you bring together when you polymerize nucleotides?

A

Carbon 3 and Carbon 5 are brought together through a phosphodiester bond

38
Q

What is the function of a fatty acid?

A

Makes up membranes of the cell (phospholipids) and are stored in the cytoplasm as an energy reserve.

39
Q

What is the structure of a fatty acid?

A

1) A HYDROPHOBIC hydrocarbon tail
- The tail is hydrophobic because it is nonpolar
2) A HYDROPHILIC carboxylic acid head
- The head is hydrophilic because it is polar

Note: Two hydrophobic fatty acid tails attached to a glycerol which is attached to a hydrophilic head group.

40
Q

Why are fatty acids considered amphipathic?

A

It has both hydrophobic (tails) and hydrophilic (head) ends

Note: This promotes formation of a membrane in an aqueous solution

41
Q

Why are lipids not traditional macromolecules/polymers?

A

Lipids DO NOT form covalent bonds between adjacent lipid molecules. Instead they are brought together by hydrophobic forces

BIOLOGY 201-0 - Molecular Biology (13 decks)

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