The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules

Question 1

4 Classes of Biological Molecules

Answer 1

Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins, Nucleic Acids

Question 2

Macromolecules

Answer 2

built from polymers (long molecules with similar or identical blocks linked by covalent bonds) - Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins

Question 3

Monomers

Answer 3

small building blocks that make polymers

Question 4

Enzymes

Answer 4

specialized molecules that speed up chemical reactions (facilitate the synthesis and breakdown of polymers)

Question 5

Dehydration reaction

Answer 5

links 2 monomers together, removes hydroxyl group from one side and H from another (H2O)

Question 6

Hydrolysis

Answer 6

disassembles polymer, breaks bond between monomers and adds hydroxyl group to one side and H to another (adds H2O)

Question 7

Monosaccharides

Answer 7

simple sugars, build complex polymers, come in multiples of CH2O (ie: C6H12O6, glucose)

Question 8

Classification

Answer 8

aldose or ketose, size of carbon skeleton (triose - 3, pentose - 5, hexoes - 6)

Question 9

Glucose structure

Answer 9

is a hexoes, has 6 carbon ring labeled in clockwise order (ie: 1 prime, 2 prime, etc.)

Question 10

Disaccharide

Answer 10

2 monosaccharides joined by a glycosidic linkage (dehydration reaction)

Question 11

Polysaccharides

Answer 11

macromolecules with many monosaccharides joined together

Question 12

Lipids

Answer 12

are all hydrophobic, consist mostly of hydrocarbon regions

Question 13

Types of Lipids

Answer 13

fats, phospholipids, steroids

Question 14

Fats

Answer 14

constructed from glycerol and fatty acids

Question 15

Fatty acids

Answer 15

long carbon skeleton (16 or 18 atoms) with carboxyl group and hydrocarbon chain

Question 16

Fat/Triglyceride

Answer 16

3 fatty acids + glycerol joined by a ester bond (glycerol gives H from hydroxyl group and fatty acid gives HO from carboxyl group) - dehydration reaction

Question 17

Saturated fatty acid

Answer 17

has no double bond in hydrocarbon

Question 18

Unsaturated fatty acid

Answer 18

has double bond in hydrocarbon

Question 19

Phospholipids

Answer 19

2 fatty acids + glycerol + phosphate group, Hydrocarbon tail (hydrophobic), phosphate group and attachments (hydrophilic), are arranged in a bilayer with hydrophobic tail protected (forms boundary between cell membrane and internal and external aqueous solutions)

Question 20

Proteins

Answer 20

are all constructed from 20 amino acids, linked by polymers -> polypeptide, made of 1+ polypeptides in a 3d structure

Question 21

Amino Acid

Answer 21

Amino Acid - amino group + carboxyl group + side chain (R) + alpha carbon + H

Question 22

Classification

Answer 22

based on biological properties in side chains (Non-polar R - hydrophobic, Polar R - hydrophilic, Acidic R - negative, Basic R - positive)

Question 23

Protein Dehydration Reaction

Answer 23

left amino acid gives OH from carboxyl, right amino acid gives H from amino group (Dehydration reaction)

Question 24

4 Levels of Protein Structure

Answer 24

Primary Structure, Secondary Structure, Tertiary Structure, Quaternary Structure

Question 25

Primary Structure

Answer 25

linear chain of amino acids

Question 26

Secondary Structure

Answer 26

coils and folds in polypeptide backbone because of hydrogen bonds

Question 27

Tertiary Structure

Answer 27

structure of polypeptide because of side chain interactions, hydrophobic side chains avoid contact with water by hiding in core of protein, hydrogen bonds bind positive and negative side chains

Question 28

Quaternary Structure (some proteins)

Answer 28

association of multiple polypeptides (collagen, hemoglobin)