Naturally occuring polymers Flashcards
1
Q
What 3 functional groups does an amino acid have?
A
- Carboxylic acid group (COOH)
- Amino group (NHH)
- R group (changes depending on which amino acid it is)
2
Q
How are proteins formed via amino acids?
A
- Proteins are polymers of amino acids. Amino acids can form polymers known as polypeptides via condensation polymersition
- The amino group of an amino acid can react with the carboxylic group of another to form a polymer chain and a molecule of water
3
Q
What is the amide bond / peptide link?
A
- Carbon to nitrogen bond between two amino acids
- H - N - C = O
4
Q
How many different nucleotides are there and how is DNA a polymer?
A
- There are 4 different nucleotides for the 4 different available bases (A, T, C, G)
- The different order these nucleotides join together in gives us different genes
- DNA is a polymer of lots of nucleotides (monomers) joined together
5
Q
How do we prevent genes from getting damaged?
A
- DNA is made of 2 polymer chains that are linked together
- These chains naturally coil, forming a double helix
6
Q
Examples of carbohydrates polymers
A
- Called polysaccharides
- Starch
- Cellulose
7
Q
Examples of carbohydrates monomers
A
- Called monosaccharides
- Glucose
- Fructose
