Topic 1.4 - Properties of Biological Macromolecules 𖦹⋆｡°✩ Flashcards
how are living systems organized
in a hierarchy of structural levels
what do all these levels of hierarchy have in common
at all levels, function is related to structure
what happens when there is a change in structure
there is a change in function
how are the properties of biomolecules determined in living systems
properties are determined by the structures and function of the molecules
what are nucleic acids
polymers made of nucleotides (monomers)
what is the basic structure of nucleotides (3 components)
༻ a 5-C sugar
༻ a phosphate group
༻ a nitrogen base
where do all nucleic acids store biological information
in the sequence of nucleotide monomers
what are some examples of nucleic acids
DNA and RNA
how do DNA and RNA differ
༻ in the type of sugar contained (deoxy/ribose)
༻ in the nitrogen base contained (ATGCU)
. . . they both store biological information, but the structural differences between them result in specific functional differences
how do amino acids have directionality
with an amino and carboxyl terminus
what is a polypeptide
the primary structure of a protein
what does a polypeptide consist of
a specific order of amino acids
what does the order of amino acids determine
the overall shape that a protein can achieve
how can amino acids differ
in the R group, aka the atom(s) attached to the central atom
what properties can the R group have
it can be hydrophobic, hydrophilic, or ionic
