Nutrition Flashcards
What are organic compounds?
Compounds that have carbon atoms that are bonded to other carbon atoms
what are inorganic compounds?
compounds that do not contain carbon atoms
How many valence electrons do carbon atoms have?
4
How many covalent bonds can carbon form?
4
What kind of shapes can carbon bonds form?
straight chains, branched chains and ringed chains
Why does carbon have a large variety?
The tendency that carbon has to bond with itself
What does the 3D shape of carbon determine?
the properties and functions of the molecule within living systems
Does carbon readily dissolve in water?
No
How is carbon in nature?
readily available and very abundant
What are functional groups?
a cluster of atoms that are attached to the carbon skeleton
What do functional groups give to the molecule?
a particular shape and directly involved in chemical reactions
What 4 functional groups are important to living things?
hydroxyl, carboxyl, amino and phosphate
What is a macromolecule?
a giant molecule formed by the joining of smaller molecules
What are the 4 classes of macromolecules?
carbs, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids
How are macromolecules formed?
By a process called polymerization
What is polymerization?
where large compounds are build by joining together many smaller molecules
what are small building block units called?
monomers
What do monomers join together to form?
polymers
What is a polymer?
a long molecule consisting of many similar or identical building blocks linked by covalent bonds
What is the monomer of starch?
Glucose
How are macromolecules formed?
Through condensation reactions
How are macromolecules broken down?
Through hydrolysis reactions
What does a condensation reaction do?
Attaches monomers together to form a polymer
How do condensation reactions work?
2 molecules are covalently bonded to one another through the loss of a water molecule