Macromolecules Flashcards
What is a macromolecule?
A carbon based molecule (several molecules bonded together)
All biological macro-molecule are made up of a small number of these 6 elements:
Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Sulfur
What is a monomer?
A single molecule
What is a polymer?
A chain of monomers (multiple molecules)
What are the four main macromolecules
Proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, and lipids
What are the three types of chemical bonds that can form with a carbon atom?
Single, double, and triple
What are the functions of carbs?
They are body’s energy source (sugars), energy storage and structure
What are the monomers of Carbohydrates?
Monosaccharides (simple sugars)
Three examples of carbs
Glucose, sucrose, fructose, lactose… ect (they always end with “ose”)
What shape is glucose?
A hexagon
What elements make up Carbohydrates
CHO
carbon to hydrogen to oxygen is 1:2:1
What is a simple sugar?
A sugar in its simplest form
What is a simple sugar also known as?
A monosaccharide
What are two simple sugars? More than two?
Disaccharides, polysaccharides
What are the functions of proteins?
Structural support, biochemical catalysts, hormones, enzymes, building blocks, and initiators of cellular death.
What elements make up proteins?
CHON(S)
What are the building blocks of proteins?
Amino acids
How many types of amino acids are there?
20
What do enzymes do?
They help speed up chemical reactions in the human body.
When an enzyme no longer can function, what happened to it?
It got denatured
What can cause an enzyme to denature?
Changes in pH or temerature
What happens when an enzyme denatures?
It changes shape and can no longer attach to the protein.
What do enzymes attach to? Explain the process.
Enzymes attach to substrates. They have to be a perfect fit, or they won’t function properly. They attach to a place called the active site
What is an enzyme inhibitor? Explain the two types and what they do.
There are two types, competitive or noncompetitive. Competitive takes up the active site so the enzymes can’t attach. Noncompetitive enzymes attach to the substrate on a place other than the active site and deform it so enzymes can’t fit.
What do proteins look like?
Any of the twenty different amino acids twisted into a chain. (A polymer)
What are some examples of proteins?
skin, hair, fingernails, claws, pepsin, insulin
Why is the shape of a protein important?
The shape determines its function/job
What does it mean when we say an enzyme digests a molecule?
It breaks it down into its smaller subunits
Enzymes are named for:
The reaction
they help (ex. sucrase breaks down sucrose)
Enzymes always end in:
Ase
What do enzymes do for cells?
Enzymes speed up (catalyze) chemical reactions in cells.
What are the functions of lipids?
Energy storage, make up the cell membrane, cushions organs, and insulates body
Examples of lipids
Fats, oils, waxes, cuticles of plants, pigments, and hormones
What elements make up lipids
CHOP(S)
What are the monomers of lipids?
Fatty acids and glycerol
