macromolecules Flashcards
5 ways the carbon backbone can vary
Length (number of carbons)
Branching
Number of double bonds
Circularization
Isomerization
what’s is the Max H that 2 C’s can hold. what happens if a compound holds less than this
6
means its unsaturated
what’s unsaturated
carbon backbone with not the max number of H’s bonded
- DOUBLE BONDS SHOW THIS
what’s saturated
carbon backbone with the max number of H’s bonded
isomerization meaning
Things with identical chemical formulas but different structures
3 ways isomers can vary in structure
-Structural
-Geometric
-Enantiomers
what does Cis and Trans mean in geometric isomer variation
- Cis = X on the same side of the horizontal line – no rotation around that bond
- Trans - X on opposite side of the horizontal line – allow rotation around that bond
Enantiomers variation in isomers
structure is mirrored
4 Biological macromolecules
Carbohydrates
Fats
Proteins
Nucleic acids
reaction that brings monomers together
dehydration synthesis (lose water)
reaction that breaks monomers apart
hydrolysis (add water)
carbohydrates / sugar monomers, polymers and type of bond
Monosaccharides - CH2O (generally)
Polysaccharides
Glycosidic linkages
Lipid monomers, polymers and type of bond
Fatty acids
Triacylglycerols
Ester linkages
Proteins monomers, polymers and type of bond
Amino acids
Polypeptides
Peptide bonds
Nucleic acid monomers, polymers and type of bond
Nucleotides
Polynucleotides
Phosphodiester bonds
what are carbohydrates classified by
location of the carbonyl – tells you if it’s an ALDOSE or KETOSE
3 things carbohydrates are classified by
- location of the carbonyl (aldose or ketose)
- number of carbons (length of chain)
- spatial arrangement e.g. alpha or beta glucose
location of carbonyl on aldose and ketose carbohydrates
Aldose = carbonyl on end (top or bottom) ^
Ketose = carbonyl in middle <
Monosaccharides importance in cells
serves as fuel source
what are Disaccharides
2 monos joined by a dehydration synthesis
3 types of disaccharides
- Maltose = glucose + glucose
- Sucrose (poison) = glucose + fructose
- lactose = galactose + glucose
what are Polysaccharides
polymers of sugar
2 types of polysaccharides
- Starch & glycogen
- cellulose
Starch & glycogen characteristics
- Store energy
S = plant
G = animals - Alpha glucose monomer (OH on bottom)
- Helicase shape
- human digestible
cellulose characteristics
- Provides structure to plants / involved in fibre
- Beta glucose monomer (OH on top)
- Linear sheets shape
- not human digestible
difference between alpha and beta glucose polymers
- alpha glucose polymers spiral and form helix
- beta glucose polymers impossible to spiral (linear) but create strong fibres by lining up by hydroxyl groups
3 types of lipids
Fats
Phospholipids
Steroids
lipids characteristic
- oils
- non polar
fats major function
energy storage
what 2 smaller molecules are fats Constructed from
Fatty acids (3)
Glycerol (1)
2 things Fatty acids vary in
length of carbon chain
degree of saturation
what are Saturated fatty acids
- maximum number of H
- no double bonds (means there is free rotation aka TRANS) – allows them to come together and nest to hide from water
- solid at room temp (all animal fats except fish are saturated)
what are unsaturated fatty acids
- missing amount of H bonds
- 1 or more double bonds - causes a kink (no free rotation around the bond aka CIS)
- molecules cannot stack on one another
- liquids at room temp (fat of plants and fish)
what are phospholipids constructed from
2 fatty acids
Phosphate group
Glycerol
important characteristic of phospholipids
Hydrophobic tail
Hydrophilic head (phosphate group)
Major role of phospholipids
cell membrane
- When put into water they self-assemble into a phospholipid bilayer - Hydrophilic head on outside + Hydrophobic tail on inside
Steroids structure
Carbon skeleton of 4 rings (3 x 6sided and 1 x 5sided)
- see notes for drawing
most common steroid and its 2 important roles
cholesterol
- Important component of lipid bilayers
- Precursor for signalling molecules
where is cholesterol synthesised
liver
