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Cell Biology > Molecules and Membranes > Flashcards

Molecules and Membranes Flashcards

The Molecules of Cells Enzymes as Biological Catalysts Cell Membranes

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1
Q

What is the purpose of cellular biology?

A

To understand cellular processes in terms of chemical and physical reactions.

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2
Q

Are the reactions and processes organic cells undergo anything like chemical reactions?

A

Yes, they are exactly the same and are the foundation for how all organisms exist and sustain life today.

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3
Q

Do living cells vary much between organisms and types of cells?

A

Yes! They are incredible complex and diverse.

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4
Q

What is the most abundant molecule in cells?

A

Water!

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5
Q

What does it mean if a molecule is polar?

A

It is asymmetric in shape, meaning that one side of the molecule will have a partial positive charge, and another point on the molecule will have a partial negative charge. These molecules are hydrophilic.

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6
Q

What does it mean if a molecule is non polar?

A

The molecule is has symmetrical geometry, and does not have points that have a partial positive or partial negative charge. These molecules are hydrophobic.

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7
Q

Is water polar or non polar and why.

A

Polar!

Hydrogen atoms have a slight positive charge, and the oxygen has a slight negative charge.

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8
Q

What is hydrogen bonding?

A

A covalent bond that occurs between Hydrogen, and either Fluorine, Nitrogen, or Oxygen. It does not have to involve water.

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9
Q

Are hydrogen bonds strong?

A

No, not on their own. In sheets though, together they are very strong and almost impossible to break.

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10
Q

Define hydrophilic

A

“Water loving”, these molecules are soluble in water. They are polar

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11
Q

Define hydrophobic

A

“Water hating”, these molecules cannot interact with water and are poorly soluble in water.

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12
Q

How much of a cells mass is inorganic ions?

A

Less than 1%

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13
Q

List 7 types of inorganic ions cells need

A 
Sodium
Potassium
Magnesium
Calcium
Phosphate
Chloride
Bicarbonate
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14
Q

List the 4 main classes of molecules in living cells

A

Carbohydrates (sugars)
Lipids (fats)
Proteins
Nucleic Acids

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15
Q

Define Carbohydrates

A

Sugars! Can be simple or polysaccharides

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16
Q

What are simple sugars called?

A

Monosaccharides

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17
Q

List a few defining characteristics of monosaccharides

A

Cannot be broken down into even simpler sugars, these are the building blocks of all other sugars. Has only 1 Carbon per 2 Hydrogen and 1 Oxygen

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18
Q

What is a common monosaccharide?

A

Glucose

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19
Q

What is the purpose of glucose in cells?

A

Provides the principle source of cellular energy

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20
Q

What is a disaccharide?

A

A sugar with 2 Carbons. Often has at least one glucose molecule in it, and can be broken down into simpler sugars.

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21
Q

List 3 common examples of disaccharides

A

Sucrose, Lactose, Maltose

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22
Q

What type of bond links sugars together?

A

Glycosidic bond

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23
Q

What is a polysachharide

A

A sugar with 3 or more carbons.

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24
Q

What do we call polysaccharides with 3, 5, and 6 Carbon in them?

A

Triose sugar, Pentose sugar, and Hexose sugars respectively.

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25
Q

What form do hexose sugars take?

A

Benzene ring.

26
Q

What type of reaction forms glycosidic bonds?

A

Dehydydration Reactions

27
Q

What occurs when dehydration reactions take place?

A

H2O is removed, resulting in condensation

28
Q

Is there a limit to how many sugars can be in a polysachharide?

A

No! They can be made of hundreds or even thousands of sugars.

29
Q

Define Oligosaccharide

A

Polymers of a few sugars

30
Q

What is the most common polysaccharide in animal cells and what is it used for?

A

Glycogen, stores glucose (energy)

31
Q

What is the most common polysaccharide in plant cells and what is it used for?

A

Amylopectin, or Starch, stores glucose (energy)

32
Q

What is the structure of starch and glycogen molecules like?

A

Composed entirely of glucose and is in the alpha configuration.
The long strands have branches of more glucose chains coming off the main chain.

33
Q

What is cellulose and where is it found?

A

Cellulose is a structural carb and it is found as a main component in plant cell walls.

34
Q

Describe the structure of cellulose

A

Long, uninterrupted chains of glucose with no branhces. Molecules are in the beta configuration.

35
Q

What is the structural benefit of the shape of cellulose?

A

Because they are just long single stranded chains, they stack side by side to form strong fibres.

36
Q

What is chitin and where is it found?

A

Chitin is the animal parallel of cellulose, it forms exoskeletons of many arthropods.

37
Q

What role do oligosaccharides and polysaccharides play in protein synthesis?

A

They act as markers involved in cell recognization and interactions and aid in protein folding.

38
Q

What are the 3 main roles lipids play in cells?

A

Energy storage
Major component of cell membranes (lipid bilayer)
Important in cell signalling as steroid hormones and messenger molecules

39
Q

Which of the 4 main types of molecules in organic cells are FATTY ACIDS?

A

Lipids

40
Q

Describe the structure of fatty acids

A

Long hydrocarbon chains of 16 or 18 carbons with a carboxyl group (COO-) at one end.

41
Q

What is the structural difference between unsaturated fatty acids and saturated fatty acids?

A

Unsaturated fatty acids have one or more double bonds (makes them harder to break)
Saturated fatty acids have no double bonds.

42
Q

Why are fats used in cooking (butters, oils, ect) so hard to wash off?

A

The hydrocarbon chain in fatty acids is hydrophobic.

43
Q

What is a big difference between the fat oleate and fats like palmitate or stearate.

A

Palmitate and Stearate have a straight line shape, where oleate is bent.

44
Q

How are fatty acids stored?

A

Triacylglyceroles (triyglycerides or fats). 3 fatty acids bind to a glycerol molecule.
Because they are insoluble in water, they accumulate as fat droplets in the cytoplasm

45
Q

How are fatty acids in the cytoplasm used by the cell?

A

Breaking the bonds of fatty acids yields energy for the cell

46
Q

Describe the structure of triglycerides

A

Glycerol head with 3 fatty acid chains as tails.

47
Q

What type of molecule is a more efficient energy storage: carbohydrates or lipids? Why?

A

Lipids/Fats.
They yield more than twice as much energy per weight of material broken down.
Carbs are good for short term storage, because of their branching structure it makes molecules easier to access and break off.
Lipids however, come in long strait chains so more of them can be densly packed into a space than carbs. This means that you can store A LOT of energy with lipids.

48
Q

What are phospholipids?

A

The main structural component of cell membranes

49
Q

Describe the structure of phospholipids

A

2 hydropohbic fatty acids chains joined to a hydrophilic head group.

50
Q

Describe the defining structural characteristic of glycerol phospholipid compared to other phospholipids

A

The fatty acids are bound to glycerol, which is bound to a phosphate group, which can then bind to ANOTHER group (which is often polar)

51
Q

What is the main type of phospholipid found in cell membranes? What is the exception?

A

Glycerol phospholipids

Sphingomylein is the only nonglycerol phospholipid in cell membranes

52
Q

Describe the defining structural characteristic of sphinogomyelin phospholipid compared to other phospholipids

A

The polar head is formed from serine

53
Q

What is an attribute all phospholipids have?

A

Hydrophobic tails and hydrophilic heads

54
Q

Define amphipathic

A

Part of the molecule is soluble in water, and part of it isn’t,

55
Q

List 2 examples of lipids other than phospholipids

A

Glycolipids

Cholestrol

56
Q

How does the structure of glycolipids differ from phospholipids?

A

2 hydrocarbon chains as the hydrophobic head and 1 hydrocarbohydrate polar head group
Amphipathic

57
Q

How does the structure of cholesterol differ from phospholipids?

A

4 hydrophobic hydrocarbon rings
and 1 polar hydroxyl (OH) group
Amphipathic

58
Q

Which of the 4 main classes of molecules are steroid hormones?

A

Lipids, fats!

59
Q

What are examples of hormones that are lipids?

A

Estrogens and testosterones

60
Q

Estrogens and Testosterones are derivatives of what kind of lipid?

A

Cholesterol

61
Q

What is the biological purpose of steroid hormones?

A

Chemical messengers

62
Q

What purpose do some derivatives of phospholipids serve?

A

Messenger molecules

Cell Biology (6 decks)

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