Semester 1 Flashcards
What are biological molecules
Carbon-based (except for small inorganic molecules)
What is the composition of the cell
Water - 70%
Macromolecules - 26%
Small organic molecules - 3%
Inorganic ions - 1%
What is the general formula for carbohydrates
(CH20)n
What are the two types of monosaccharides
Ketone based and Aldehyde based - they have different positions of double bond
What type of monosaccharide is glucose
An Aldose
Where is D-Glucose found
Only synthetically in a lab setting (not found in nature)
What are disaccharides
Two monomers of sugar molecules which come together to form a molecules
What are the features of cellulose
B-1,4 glycosidic bond; each molecule is rotated 180 so it cannot be broken down
What are the features of starch and glycogen
A-1,4 glycosidic bond; there is no rotation between molecules so both are easily broken down and major energy sources for humans
What type of monosaccharide is glycogen and what are it’s features
An Aldose; it has a branched structure which saves space due to the 1,4 and 1,6 glycosidic bonds; stored in muscles and cells
What are oligosaccharides
Macromolecules that form blood groups
What are amino acids
Protein building blocks that form peptide bonds (covalent bonds) between the COOH and NH2
What is the primary structure
Sequence of bases; DNA contains genes and the genes code for proteins which carry out multiple functions in the cell - studied using DNA sequencing
What is the secondary structure
The regular folded form, often stabilised by hydrogen bonds eg. A,B and Z Form DNA - studied by Xray techniques and chemical probing
What is the tertiary structure
Overall 3D structure stabilised by hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic, hydrophilic and vdW forces - DNA supercoiling - studied using e- microscopy
What is the quaternary structure
Organisation of macromolecules into assemblies, often stabilised by ionic bonds - interlocked chromosomes
Who discovered that DNA has a double helical structure
Watson and Crick
How is DNA anti-parallel
The opposite orientations of the two strands of a DNA double helix; the 5’ end of one strand aligns with the 3’ end of the other strand
How many hydorgen bonds are between base pairs
A and T - 2
C and G - 3
The differences in hydrogen bonding ability means that only complementary bases join together
What is ATP
Adenosine triose phosphate is an energy unit
What is cAMP
Second messenger
What is AMP involved in
RNA synthesis
What is the structure of triglycerides
1 glycerol with 3 fatty acids and ester bonds
What is the structure of a phospholipid
Glycerol backbone with 2 fatty acid side chains. The phosphate head contains different elements
What lipids form membranes
Micelles - fats are found on the inside with a polar outer region so that it can transform
Liposomes - have a bilayer which fuses with cells and allows materials to get inside the cell
What is cholesterol
A steroid that can intercalate into the membrane and is a hormone building block.
Is DNA or RNA more stable
DNA as it has 1 less oxygen than RNA
What are examples of single molecule diseases
Diabetes - absence of a protein hormone (insulin) leads to failure to regulate blood glucose
Sickle cell disease - one amino acid change in a globin chain causes haemoglobin to aggregate into polymers
Cystic fibrosis - absence of a membrane protein that transports chloride leads to altered properties of secretions
