Structure And Function Flashcards
Polymer
A long molecule consisting of many similar or identical building blocks linked by covalent bonds
Building blocks - monomers
Monomer
Small molecules that are the repeated units that serve as building blocks
Enzymes
Specialized macromolecules that speed up chemical reactions in cells
Dehydration reaction
Monomers are connected by covalent bonds that form through the loss of a water molecule
Removes a water molecule to form a new bond
Energy is required
Hydrolysis - hydration reaction
Break down of a polymer
Adds water to break it down
Energy is released
Like digestion
Carbohydrates
Include sugars and their polymers
Simplest carbohydrates
Monosccharides
Simple sugars
Disacharides
Double sugars
Consist of two monosaccharides joined by a covalent bond
Polysaccharides
Polymers of many monosaccharides
Monosccharides
Generally have molecular formulas that are some multiple of the unit CH2O
Ex: glucose, C6H12O6
A carbonyl group (>C=O) and multiple hydroxyl groups (-OH)
Most names for sugars end in
-ose
Depending on the location of the carbonyl group
The sugar in and aldose (aldehyde sugar) or a ketose (ketone sugar)
How are monosaccharides classified
By the size of the carbon skeleton
Monosccharides carbon skeleton ranges from
3-7 carbons long
Hexoses
Glucose and other six-carbon sugars
Pentoses
Five-carbon sugars
Trioses
Three-carbon sugars
Another structural distinction of simple sugars
Spatial arrangement of their parts and asymmetric carbon atoms
Aldoses
Carbonyl groups at end of car in skeleton
Ketose
Carbonyl group within carbon skeletons
Sugars depend on the —-, —–, —–, and —- of their functions to decide what they are
Number
Location
Space
Structure
Cellular respiration
Cells extract energy from glucose molecules
Forming a disaccharide
Two monosaccharides can join with a GLYCOSIDIC LINKAGE via dehydration reaction
Maltose, malt sugar, is formed by
Two glucose molecules
Sucrose, table sugar, is formed by joining
Glucose and fructose
Lactose, milk sugar, is formed by joining
Glucose and galactose
The architecture and function of a polysaccharide are determined by its
Sugar monomers and by the positions of it’s Glycosidic Linkages
Polysaccharides serve as
Building materials for the cell or whole organism
Storage and are hydrolyzed as sugars as needed
Starch
A storage polysaccharide composed entirely of glucose monomers
Plants store surplus glucose as
Starch granules within plastids, including chloroplasts, and withdraw it as needed for energy or carbon
Animals have digestive enzymes that
Can hydrolyzed starch to glucose, making glucose available as nutrients for cells
Amylose
The simplest form of starch
Unbranched - can be branched but more complicated
Glycogen
Animals store glucose in a polysaccharide called glycogen
Similar to amylopectin, but much more branched
Cellulose
Major component of the tough wall of plant cells
A polymer of glucose, but the glycoside linkages are different than this rod starches
Starch structures
Alpha 1-4 linkage
Largely helical
Cellulose structure
Beta glucose monomers
Straight and unbranched
Chitin
Found in exoskeletons of arthropods
Similar to cellulose, except it has nitrogen-containing appendage
