Macromolecules Flashcards
What are the 4 groups?
carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids three of these 4 are capable of forming polymers (c,p and n)
What are macromolecules
large molecules composed of thousands of covalently connected atoms
Polymer
long molecules consisting of many building blocks
How are monomers connected?
Connected by covalent bonds that form through the loss of a water mi=olecule in a process called a condensation reaction or dehydration reacting
How are polymers disassembled into monomers?
by hydrolysis, a reaction that is essentially the reverse of the dehydration reaction ( see in book reverse)
What is dehydration facilitated by
enzymes, specialized macromolecules that speed up chemical reactions in cells
Where does the diversity of polymers come from?
This diversity comes from various combinations of the 40-50 common monomers and some others that occur rarely. Combinations vary because they have different roles to play
What do carbohydrates provide
energy and structure
What do carbohydrates include
include sugars and the polymers of sugars
Monosaccharide
have a carbonyl group and multiple hydroxyl group. Glucose is the most common monosaccharide.
Carbohydrate type
type of carbohydrate depends on the position of the carbonyl group and the number of carbons on the carbon skeleton
Rings
In aqueous solutions many sugars form rings.
What do monosaccharides serve as
serve as a major fuel for cells and raw material for building molecules. Lipids and Proteins can form from the skeleton of monosaccharide
How do two monosaccharides join
can join with a glycosidic linkage to form a disaccharide via dehydration
Polysaccharides
The polymers of sugars- are formed by hundreds to thousands of monosaccharides joined by glycosidic linkages. Some have storage and structural roles
