Macromolecules Flashcards
(25 cards)
What are the 4 classes of macromolecules
carbohydrates
lipids
proteins
nucleic acids
What is a carbohydrate
saccharides (sugars) and their polymers
molecular compounds made from C, O, H
What is a monosaccharide and what is the most common example
simplest carbohydrates (simple sugars)
example: glucose
What is a disaccharide and what is a common example
double sugars which consists of two monosaccharides
example: tw molecules of glucose
What are the two main monosaccharides
Glucose
Fructose
What are the main disaccharides and their composition?
sucrose: glucose and fructose
lactose: two beta glucose molecules
maltose: one beta and one alpha glucose molecules
What are oligosaccharides
carbohydrates containing usually 3-10 monosaccharides
What are polysaccharides and what are the most common examples?
polysaccharides are multiple monosaccharides joined by glycosidic bonds
examples: starch, cellulose and chitin
What is starch and its composition?
polysaccharides of plants which store energy
polymer of alpha-glucose
What is cellulose and its composition?
structural polysaccharide found in plant cell walls
polymer of beta-glucose
What are nucleic acids
long polymers of repeating subunits (nucleotides)
What is a nucleotide consist of?
pentose sugar
phosphate group
organic nitrogenous base
What are the two classes of nitrogenous bases
purines:
- adenine
- guanine
Pyrimidines:
- thymine
-cytosine
- uracil
What is the difference between purines and pyrimidines?
purines:
double bonded rings
pyrimidines:
single ring structure
How are nucleotides linked together
linked by phosphodiester bonds between the phosphate group and sugar group of two nucleotides
base pairs in DNA run ___ and are joined by ____
antiparallel
hydrogen bonds
How is RNA different to DNA
single stranded
carbon 2 (C2’) in the RNA ring is oxygenated
RNA contains uracil
What are the types of RNA and what are their roles?
mRNA (messenger): delivers the DNA to cytosol to manufacture the proteins
rRNA (ribosomal): forms ribosomes by combining proteins
tRNA (transfer): brings amino acids to the ribosome based on the decoding of the mRNA strand
What are proteins
polymers of amino acids
What is the role of chaperone proteins
to help other proteins fold correctly
What is denaturation
the changing of the shape of a protein which can alter its function due to environmental changes like temp, pH, ion concentration
Denatured proteins have altered functions or are completely inactive due to these structural changes
What are the common properties of all lipids
insoluble in water
high portion of non-polar C-H bonds
What is the difference between a saturated lipid, a non saturated lipid and a polyunsaturated lipid
saturated:
chain made up of single bonds
unsaturated:
double or triple bonds present in the lipid chain
polyunsaturated:
multiple double/triple bonds
What is the composition of a phospholipid and why are they important
form the core of all cell membranes
hydrophilic head:
- glycerol and phosphate group
hydrophobic tails:
- one saturated and one unsaturated fatty acid (joined to glycerol)
