Terpenes and Steroids

Question 1

What is a terpene?

Answer 1

member of a broad class of compounds built from isoprene units with a general structure of (C5H8)n

Question 2

How are terpenes classified?

Answer 2

by the number of isoprene units they contain

Question 3

What is squalene?

Answer 3

triterpene made from six isoprene units that is biosynthetically used in the manufacturing of steroids

Question 4

What is a terpenoid?

Answer 4

functionalized terpene

Question 5

What does it mean to be a functionalized terpene?

Answer 5

functionalized with other elements such as O, N, and S

Question 6

What structure do all steroids have?

Answer 6

basic tetracyclic ring system

Question 7

What steroid is an important component of the cellular membrane?

Answer 7

cholesterol

Question 8

How do we acquire cholesterol?

Answer 8

from the diet and from synthesis in the liver

Question 9

How is cholesterol carried through the blood?

Answer 9

in lipoproteins

Question 10

What are two major examples of steroid hormones?

Answer 10

testosterone
estradiol

Question 11

How do steroid receptors “work”?

Answer 11

can easily diffuse through the cellular membrane and will bind to receptors inside the cell