Unit 1: Biological Molecules Flashcards
What is metabolism?
The total sum of all if the chemical reactions going on in an organism.
What does catabolic and anabolic mean?
Catabolic = larger broken down into smaller.
Anabolic = smaller built up to larger.
What is the use of carbohydrates?
Energy store and energy supply, part of structure.
Use of proteins?
Structure, support, enzymes, antibodies, hormones.
Use of vitamins / minerals?
Part of larger molecules, involved in metabolic pathways.
Use of nucleic acid?
Carry info, coding for genes.
Use of water?
Support (plants), solvent for reactions.
Use of lipids?
Membranes, energy store, insulation, protection, electrical insulation, hormones.
What is the definition of organic chemistry?
Chemistry that involves carbon.
What is the meaning of covalent bonding?
Electrons are shared between atoms.
What is the meaning of double bonding?
2 electrons are shared between atoms.
What is a monomer?
A single molecule.
What is a polymer?
Multiple monomers chemically bonded in a chain.
What are the monomers and polymers for carbohydrates?
Monosaccharides and Polysaccharides.
What are the monomers and polymers of proteins?
Amino acids and Polypeptides.
What are the monomers and polymers for nucleic acid?
Nucleotides and DNA / RNA
What is polymerisation?
The bonding of monomers to create a polymer.
What is condensation?
A new covalent bond or larger molecules are formed - a water molecule is produced or released.
What is hydrolysis?
When a covalent bond is broken, smaller molecules are formed from a larger one.
What is hydrogen bonding?
When a slightly negatively charged part of a molecule comes into contact with a slightly positively charged part of another molecule. This is a weak attraction.
What are carbohydrates made of
Monosaccharides, containing C, H, and O.
What are the different forms of glucose and how can you tell them apart
- alpha glucose has OH facing down
- beta glucose has OH facing up to
What are disaccharides
- two monosaccharides joined together by condensation reactions
What are polysaccharides
- multiple monosaccharides joined together by condensation
Cellulose structure
- long unbranched chains of beta-glucose
- hydrogen bonds between glucose create microfibrils
- microfibrils create strong fibres
Cellulose function
- strength to support cell walls
Lipid function & properties
- energy source
- protection & waterproofing
- thermal & electrical insulators
- hormones and vitamins are sometimes lipids
- cell membrane
Structure of lipids
- made of glycerol and fatty acids
- one glycerol and 3 fatty acid chains
What are saturated fatty acids
- the hydrogen atoms are closer together, with single bonds between carbon atoms
- molecules are less fluid
What are unsaturated fatty acids
- have double bonds between carbon atoms
What are triglycerides
- large nonpolar molecules which are insoluble, made from lipids
What is a phospholipid
- one glycerol bonded to two fatty acids and one phosphate group
- phosphate head is hydrophilic and fatty acid tail is hydrophobic
Structure of a protein
Primary - arrangement of amino acid sequences
Secondary - how the amino acids are formed, hydrogen bonds between
Tertiary - folding and coiling of the polypeptide chain
Quaternary - special arrangements of subunits of a protein, in respect to eachother
What is a solvent, solute and solution
Solvent - a liquid in which chemicals dissolve to make a solution
Solute - a chemical that is dissolved in a solvent
Solution - solvent + solute
Fibrous protein structure
- long strands of polypeptide chains, with cross-linkage due to hydrogen bonds
- little or no tertiary structure
Globular protein structure
- compact, roughly spherical in shape, soluble in water
- metabolic
What are inhibitors
- substances that reduce the activity of enzymes
- interfere directly or indirectly on the functioning of the active site
- can be reversible or irreversible
What is a competitive inhibitor
- binds to the active site
What is a mon-competitive inhibitor
- binds to the enzyme at a different position, changing the active site shape
What is a metabolic pathway
- the total sum of all the chemical reactions occurring in an organism is metabolism, consists of hundreds of reactions that makes the metabolic pathway
