Major Classes Of Biomolecules

Question 1

Ribonucleic acid

Answer 1

mRNA product of transcription- translated into a protein sequence
tRNA delivers amino acids to ribosome during translation
rRNA components of ribosome

Question 2

Proteins

Answer 2

Backbone connected by peptides

Alpha, all beta, alpha/beta, alpha and beta and unstructured proteins

Question 3

Carbohydrates

Answer 3

Energy production
Glycogen important in energy storage
Linked to proteins to form glycoproteins and proteoglycans and to lipids to form glycolipids
CHO also form important building block for DNA and RNA and also the cell wall of bacteria

Question 4

Lipids

Answer 4

Membrane structure/ fluidity
Major storage form of energy in the body
Signal transduction
Role as cofactors and precursors for the fat soluble vitamins (ADEK) and hormones eg. Steroids

Question 5

Water

Answer 5

Amphipathic- both polar and non-polar

Hydrogen bonding

Question 6

Amphipathic micelles

Answer 6

Dispersion of lipids in H2O
Lipid molecules force H2O molecules to become highly ordered
Clusters of lipid molecules- only lipid portions at the edge of the cluster, forcing water to order, fewer h20 molecules become ordered increasing entropy

Question 7

pKa

Answer 7

The pH at which there are equal portions of the acid (HA) and conjugate base (A-) forms of a given weak acid (or weak base)
- the stronger an acid, the lower its pKa