Organic Molecules

Question 1

Why is life on earth carbon based?

Answer 1

Carbon has four bonding sites, so it is easy to bond with, and moves around in many forms because of the carbon cycle. It also easily forms chains and rings.

Question 2

How are polymers made?

Answer 2

Dehydration reactions

Question 3

What is a dehydration reaction?

Answer 3

The removal of a water molecule from two monomers so that they can bond to each other to make a polymer.

Question 4

How many carbons are in glyceraldehyde?

Answer 4

3

Question 5

What is the name of a five carbon monosaccharide?

Answer 5

Ribose

Question 6

Which monosaccharides have six carbons?

Answer 6

Glucose and Fructose

Question 7

What is a disaccharide?

Answer 7

Two monosaccharides put together.

Question 8

What is the formula for the common sugars?

Answer 8

CnH2nOn

Question 9

What are oligosaccharides?

Answer 9

3-10 monosaccharides put together.

Question 10

What are polysaccharides?

Answer 10

100-1000s of monosaccharides.

Question 11

What is the difference between alpha and beta glucose?

Answer 11

The -H and -OH groups attached to the first carbon are pointing in different directions.

Question 12

What is starch?

Answer 12

A storage form of carbohydrates in plants.

Question 13

What is glycogen?

Answer 13

A storage form of carbohydrates in animals.

Question 14

What is cellulose?

Answer 14

A structural carbohydrate in plants.

Question 15

What is chitin?

Answer 15

A structural carbohydrate in animals.

Question 16

What monomer makes up proteins?

Answer 16

Amino acids.

Question 17

Describe the structure of a protein.

Answer 17

Proteins are made of an alpha carbon, a side chain (R) that dictates the amino acid, an amino group, and a carboxyl group.

Question 18

How many common amino acids are there?

Answer 18

There are 20 amino acids.

Question 19

What are the groups that amino acids are classified in?

Answer 19

Non-polar side chains, uncharged polar side chains, acidic (negatively charged) side chains, and basic (positively charged) side chains.

Question 20

What are the polymers of amino acids?

Answer 20

Polypeptides

Question 21

What is an amino acid residue?

Answer 21

An amino acid that has one water molecule removed.

Question 22

How many amino acid residues make up a human protein?

Answer 22

About 450.

Question 23

What is primary structure?

Answer 23

A polypeptide chain.

Question 24

What is secondary structure?

Answer 24

It is formed by hydrogen bonds between backbones which fold the polypeptides into either alpha helices or beta-pleated sheets.

Question 25

What is tertiary structure?

Answer 25

The 3D shape of the polypeptide formed from various bonds between side chains.

Question 26

What is Quaternary structure?

Answer 26

It is formed when two or more proteins clump together to make a larger protein, but this does not always occur.

Question 27

What is the function of a molecule covalently attached to a protein?

Answer 27

It can "activate" the protein.

Question 28

What is the function of a protein?

Answer 28

Enzymes perform chemical reactions and transporters move molecules through cell membranes.

Question 29

What are the two types of nucleic acids?

Answer 29

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid).

Question 30

What are the monomers of nucleic acids?

Answer 30

Nucleotides

Question 31

What are nucleotides made of?

Answer 31

A five-carbon sugar, a nitrogenous base, and a phosphate group.

Question 32

What is the difference between purines and pyrimidines?

Answer 32

Purines are a two ring structure (larger) and pyrimidines are a single ring structure (smaller).

Question 33

What gives DNA and RNA molecules their shape?

Answer 33

The hydrogen bonds between certain bases.

Question 34

What are two additional functions of nucleotides?

Answer 34

ATP is used for energy. GTP is used to regulate proteins.

Question 35

Are lipids polymers?

Answer 35

No.

Question 36

What is the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats?

Answer 36

saturated fatty acids have no double bonds and are solid at room temperature. Unsaturated fatty acids have double bonds between some carbons and are liquid at room temperature.

Question 37

What are phospholipids?

Answer 37

Molecules that have phosphate group heads and lipid tails.

Question 38

What are glycolipids?

Answer 38

One or more monosaccharides with lipid tails.

Question 39

What are steroids?

Answer 39

Signalling molecules (hormones) made of cholesterol.

Question 40

What are waxes?

Answer 40

A soft and waterproof material used by bees and tropical plants to prevent water loss.

Question 41

What are lipopolysaccharides?

Answer 41

A large molecule composed of a lipid and a polysaccharide found in gram-negative bacteria.

Question 42

What is peptidoglycan?

Answer 42

A substance making up cell walls of bacteria, consisting of glycosaminoglycan chains interlinked with short peptides.

Question 43

What are cofactors?

Answer 43

Cofactors are inorganic ions that aid a protein in function.