Section 1: Molecular Composition of Plants Flashcards
what are the four major elements in plants?
H, C, N, O
covalent bonds
strong, formed by sharing electrons
ionic bonds
strong, between polar molecules (don’t share electron density evenly)
weak interactions
hydrogen bonds
non-polar interactions
carbohydrates bulding blocks
sugars (C, H, O)
carbohydrates characteristics
polar
carbohydrates functions
sucrose: carbon transport
starch: carbon/energy storage
cellulose: cell walls
lipids building blocks
fatty acids
glycerol
(C, H, O)
lipids characteristics
non-polar
hydrophobic
lipids functions
oils: carbon/energy storage
membrane lipids: compartmentalization
proteins building blocks
amino acids (C, H, O, N)
proteins characteristics
mostly polar
proteins functions
enzymes: catalyze chemical reactions
protein fibers: cell structure, motion
storage proteins: energy/carbon/nitrogen storage
nucleic acids building blocks
nucleotides (phosphate and sugar, nitrogenous base)
C, H, N, O, P
nucleic acids characteristics
polar
nucleic acids functions
DNA (storage)
RNA (transferring genetic information)
ATP (energy currency)
primary metabolites
present in all cells, essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis
secondary metabolites
in specific plants/tissues, not essential but important for evolution
2 major functions of secondary metabolites
attractants and defense compounds
