Organic Molecules - Ch. 3 Flashcards
monomer
single basic subunit; a building block
tetravalent
4 vacancies in valence shell, so can form up to 4 covalent bonds
polymer
a large molecule made up of many identical or similar monomers bound together
dehydration reaction
monomer added to polymer, makes longer polymer and a molecule of water is lost
hydrolysis
polymer breaks into tiny monomers; a molecule of water is needed
What are the 4 classes of organic molecules and an example of each?
Carbs (e.g. glucose) Lipids (e.g. fats), Proteins (e.g. hemoglobin), Nucleic Acids (e.g. DNA)
monosaccharide
simple sugars; includes glucose, fructose, galactose
disaccharide
2 monosaccharides linked together with a chemical bond
polysaccharide
large chains of monosaccharides; found in 2 basic groups: storage and structural
What is the STORAGE polysaccharide of plants?
Starch
What is the STORAGE polysaccharide of animals?
Glycogen
What is the STRUCTURAL polysaccharide of plants?
Cellulose
What is the STRUCTURAL polysaccharide of animals?
Chitin
What are the storage & structural polysaccharides formed of?
glucose monomers
lipids
greasy/oily compounds that do not dissolve in water (hydrophobic)
What are the different kinds of fats?
Dietary fat (triglycerides)
Saturated fat
Unsaturated fat
Trans fat
triglyceride
polymer not built up of identical building blocks; 1 molecule of glycerol is bonded to 3 fatty acids, linked together by dehydration reaction
saturated fats
contains only single C-C bonds; straight; solid at room temp.
unsaturated fats
double C-C bonds causes kink; liquid at room temp.
Why is fat important?
- 2x energy as carbs
- Store energy
- Cushions vital organs
- Acts as insulators
- Precursors to important compounds
trans fat
unsaturated fats that are hydrogenated to produce saturated fats; created artificially in a lab
steroid
a type of lipid; C skeleton with 4 fused rings; cholesterol is the “base steroid” to create estrogen and testosterone
What are the major types of proteins and their functions?
Structural- provides support Storage- provide amino acid for growth Contractile- helps movement/muscles Transport- helps transport substances Enzymes- helps chemical reactions
protein
polymer of amino acid monomers linked together with peptide bonds; most elaborate and diverse of all organic molecules
What are the 4 covalent partners in an amino acid that are bonded to a central Carbon atom?
Carboxyl group (-COOH) Amino group (-NH2) Side group (varies) Hydrogen atom
How are amino acids joined?
dehydration reaction links adjacent amino acids together with a peptide bond
polypeptide
resulting long chain of amino acids
What monomers are used to build proteins?
Amino Acids
What are the monomers of carbohydrates?
Monosaccharides
Why is carbon such a versatile element?
It has 4 vacancies in its valence shell and so it must bond with other atoms in 4 covalent bonds that can branch off in 4 directions.
What are the monomers of nucleic acids?
Nucleotides
What are the 2 types of nucleic acid?
DNA and RNA
What does each nucleotide monomer have?
- Sugar (5-C), either Deoxyribose or Ribose
- Phosphate group
- Nitrogenous base
denaturation
the loss of shape in a protein
What is the one thing all lipids have in common?
They are hydrophobic
