lesson 2: hydrocarbons, functional groups, condensation and hydrolysis reactions

Question 1

carbon

Answer 1

• all life on earth is carbon based
• can form 4 covalent bonds (4 outer electrons)
• results in a wide variety of molecular shapes- very diverse
• can form straight chains, branched chains, ringed molecules and diamond

Question 2

biologically important macromolecules

Answer 2

-all made up of hydrocarbons
-there are 4 different groups of biologically important molecules that are essential for life
-have unique functional properties based on their unique structures
1. carbohyrdates (CHO)
2. lipids (FA)
3, proteins (pr-)
4. nucleic acids (NA)

Question 3

hydrocarbons

Answer 3

• contain only carbon and hydrogen
• non polar
• hydrocarbon chains are found in CHO, FA, pr- and NA
• can be saturated (no double bonds-“alkanes”) or unsaturated (double bonds- “alkenes” and or triple bonds’ “alkynes”)

Question 4

functional groups

Answer 4

-a reactive cluster of atoms attached to the carbon backbone of organic molecules
-these groups determine the specific chemical properties of biological molecules
-usually ionic or strongly polar
-polar groups often act as reactive handles on a large molecule
ex. ethane (CH3CH3) and ethanol (CH3CH2OH)
ethane cant dissolve in water, whereas ethanol can because of its functional group (OH)

Question 5

1- hydroxyl group

Answer 5

• representyed as -OH
• polar
• found in CHO, FA, pr- and NA
• major class of molecules (alcohols)
  ex. isopropyl, alcohol and butyl alcohol

Question 6

2- carbonyl group

Answer 6

• represented as -COH
• called an ALDEHYDE when found at the end of a molecule
• represented as -CO-
• called a KETONE when found in the middle of the molecule

Question 7

3- carboxyl group

Answer 7

• represented as -COOH
• found in organic acids
• ex. vinegar (acetic acid)

Question 8

4- amino group

Answer 8

• represented as -NH2
• found in bases
• found in amino acids
• ex. ammonia, amino acids

Question 9

5- phosphate group

Answer 9

• represented as -PO4
• found in nucleotides, nucleic acids, ATP
• ex, adenosine triphosphate

Question 10

metabolism

Answer 10

• all the chemical reactions that occur to support life

- the formation and breakdown of biologically important molecules “macromolecules”

Question 11

macromolecules

Answer 11

-made up of subunits (smaller pieces-functional groups) that make up the specific molecule

Question 12

condensation (dehydration) reactions

Answer 12

• all 4 biologically important macromolecules are formed via condensation reactions (an anabolic reaction)
• condensation reactions (an anabolic reaction)
• condensation reactions are also called dehydration reactions
• 2 functional groups come together
• one functional group loses a hydrogen and the other loses an oxygen atom and a hydrogen atom
• a covalent bond is formed between the functional groups and water is given as a byproduct

Question 13

hydrolysis reactions

Answer 13

• all 4 biologically important macromolecules are broken down via hydrolysis reactions (a catabolic reaction)
• involves the separation of 2 subunits
• water is used to break the covalent bond between the functional groups
• one functional group takes a hydrogen and the other takes an oxygen and a hydrogen

Question 14

condensation and hydrolysis reactions

Answer 14

• they are opposite reactions

- they both require enzymes to control the reactions

Question 15

enzymes

Answer 15

• protein
• carbohydrate
• nucleic acids
• lipids

Question 16

why are functional groups important for living organisms?

Answer 16

they play an important role in the formation of molecules like DNA, proteins, carbs and lipids