Pack 1 - Biological Molecules Flashcards
What is a polymer ?
molecules made from a large number of monomers joined together
What is a monomer ?
smaller units from which larger molecules are made
What does organic mean (in organic catalysts - enzymes) ?
contains carbon
What is an isomer ?
isomer have the same atoms but they are arranged differently
What is a qualitative test ?
qualitative analysis shows whether a particular substance is present (or not), but does not give an indication of how much is present
What is a colorimeter ?
a device that measures the absorbance of particular wavelengths of light by a specific solution
What is making a range of dilutions called ?
dilutions series / series dilutions
What does triglyceride mean ?
glycerol joined to 3 fatty acids, they are also called fats / lipids
What is the functional group called on a fatty acid ?
carboxylic / carboxyl group
What is the variable region of a molecule called ?
R group
What is the meaning of hydrophilic ?
attracted to water
What is the meaning of hydrophobic ?
repelled by water
What is a polar molecule ?
a molecule with an uneven distribution of charge
What is a metabolite ?
produced / used in metabolic reactions
What is a solvent ?
a substance that dissolves a solute resulting in a solution
What is a solute ?
a chemically different liquid, solid or gas
What is it important that water is a solvent ?
water is a solvent so metabolic reactions can occur faster in solution
What is cohesion ?
the same type of molecules are attracted to each other
What does adhesion mean ?
the joining of two different types of molecules due to attractive forces (eg water molecules binding to the inside of xylem vessels)
What are xylem cells ?
tube like transport cells of plants that carry columns of water up plants from the roots to the leaves
What is transpiration ?
the movement of water up through a plant from roots, through the stem, and then out through the leaves
What is surface tension ?
cohesion between small molecules produces surface tension supporting small organisms, surface tension is a property of water seen when it meets air (it is caused by the many hydrogen bonds between the water molecules)
What does pH stand for ?
a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution / a logarithmic scale on which 7 is neutral, lower values are more acidic and higher values are more alkaline / the pH is equal to -log10 so the higher the hydrogen ion concentration (in moles per dm-3) the lower the pH
What is co-transport ?
a process in which two substances are simultaneously transported across a membrane by one protein / when both substances are transported in the same direction the transport protein is known as a symport
