Unit 1 Biological Molecules (Monomers & Polymers & Carbohydrates) Flashcards
What is the definitions for a monomer?
A monomer is a single subunit of life.
What is a polymer?
Polymers are complex molecules formed by combining monomers using covalent bonds.
Explain what the condensation process is?
The condensation process is the formation of larger biological molecules from smaller molecules.
What are polymers also known as ?
Larger biological molecules
What are monomers also known as?
Smaller biological molecules
What is the byproduct of the condensation process?
The byprouct of the condensation process is water.
Give an example of how the condensation process happens in an organism?
1) An organism eats carbohydrates.
2) Carbohydrates are broken down into smaller biological molecules (sugars).
3) These sugars are used by the body to complete the 7 life processes.
So the organism survives.
What is the product of condensation of amino acids?
Proteins and water
What is the product of condensation of many disaccharides?
Polysaccharides and water
What is the product of condensation of fatty acids?
Monoglycerides and water
Explain what the hydrolysis process is?
Hydrolysis is the break down of larger biological molecules into smaller biological molecules.
Where do the smaller biological travel to in the body?
The smaller biological travels into the cells.
What 2 ways do the biological molecules travel into the cells?
1) They travel through protein channels
2) They diffuse into the cells.
What elements are carbohydrates made up of?
Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
What are carbohydrates made from?
Carbohydrates are made from monosaccharides.
How many carbon atoms do monosaccharides contain?
Monosaccharides contain 3-7 carbon atoms.
Name 3 monosaccharides?
Fructose, glucose and galactose
What type of sugar is glucose?
Glucose is a hexose sugar
Why is glucose important?
It is an important source of energy.
What is the relation between glucose and cellular respiration?
During cellular respiration energy is released from glucose.
During cellular respiration the energy released from glucose is made into what?
The energy released from glucose is made into ATP.
*What does ATP stand for?
Adenosine Triphosphate
*What does ATP do?
ATP is used by cells as a source of fuel to complete the 7 life processes in order for the organism to survive.
What are the 2 seperate types of glucose called?
Alpha- Glucose and Beta- glucose
Alpha and beta glucose are both known as what term?
Alpha- and Beta- glucose are both isomers.
What are isomers?
Isomers have the same molecular formula but a different arrangement of atoms within a space.
How are carbon atoms numbered ?
Carbon atoms are numbered from 1-6
What is the change between alpha and beta glucose?
Alpha- and Beta- glucose both have the hydroxyl group in a different orrientation around Carbon 1.
What is the chemical formula of a hydroxyl group?
Hydroxyl group is an -OH
What is 2(glucose) equal to?
Maltose
What is 2(fructose) equal to?
Sucrose
What is 2(galactose) equal to?
Lactose
What does lactose intolerance mean?
A person who is unable to digest lactose in their body.
What is a polysaccharide?
3 or more monosaccharides joined together.
What are the name of the bonds monosaccharides joined together by to form a polysaccharide?
The monosaccharides are joined together by glycosidic bonds.
What are the 2 ways that a polysaccharide chain can be?
Branched or unbranched chain
What are 4 types of polysaccharides?
Starch, cellulose, chitin and glycogen
What type of sugars are monosaccharides?
They are reducing sugars
What type of sugars are SOME disaccharides?
Some disaccharides are non-reducing sugars.
Benedicts solution tests for what?
Benedicts solution tests for glucose prescence?
Benedicts solution tests for what type of sugars?
Benedicts solution tests for reducing and non-reducing sugars.
Positive or negative results shown by reducing sugars during Benedicts Test?
Reducing sugars show a Positive Benedicts Result.
Positive or Negative results shown by non-reducing sugars during Benedicts Test?
Non-reducing sugars show a Negative Benedicts Result.
What are the steps in Benedicts Test 1?
1) Place 2ml of a substance in a boiling tube.
2) Add 10 drops of Benedicts solution.
3) Place the boiling tube within a boiling water bath for 3-5 minutes.
What form should the substance be in when in the boiling tube?
(Benedicts Test)
The substance should be in liquid form within the boiling tube for Benendicts Test
What does the results of a blue solution in Benedicts Test mean?
Blue solution = negative Result so no reducing sugar
What does the results of a green/yellow precipitate mean in Benedicts Test?
Green/yellow = Low concentration of reducign sugars
What does the results of an orange/red precipiatate mean in a Benedicts Test mean?
Orange/red = Mid concentration of reducing sugars
What does the results of a brick-red precipitate mean in a Benedicts Test mean?
Brick-red = High concentration of reducing sugars
What needs to happen to detect the prescence of non-reducing sugars?
A Benedicts Test 2 needs to happen to detect the prescence non-reducing sugars.
Name one type of non-reducing sugar?
Sucrose
Describe the Benedicts Test 2 process?
1) Boil the substance in Dilute HCl.
2) Neutralise the solution by adding sodium hydrogen carbonate.
3) Follow the Benedicts Test 1 Steps
Why in the Benedicts Test 2 is the substance boiled in HCl?
So that the non-reducing sugars in the substance are hydrolysed.
What are 2 main facts about starch?
Starch is a polysaccharide
Starch is a common storage compound
What is starch broken down into?
Glucose
What are the organisms that break down starch into glucose for energy?
Plants
What are 2 other organisms that use starch as a source of food?
Humans, animals
If starch is with water what about the starch doesn’t change?
The water potential of starch doesn’t change.
Why does the water potential of starch not change?
The water potential of starch doesn’t change because it is insoluble in water.
What is the name of the test for prescence of starch?
The Iodine Test
How is the iodine solution made for the iodine test?
It is made by mixing iodine and a solution of pottassium iodide.
Explain the steps in which the Iodine Test is carried out?
1) Place a sample into a spotting tile or boiling tube.
2) Add few drops of iodine and observe the colour change.
If the iodine test is negative then what colour is the precipitate?
The iodine test preipitate is negative if the precitate remains orange.
If the iodine test is positive what colour is the precipitate?
The precipitate change from orange = blue-black
What are the names of the types of the starch?
Amylose and Amylopectin
What is the difference in chains between amylose and amylopectin?
Amylose = Unbranched
Amylopectin = Branched
What is the difference in the uses of Amylose and Amylopectin?
Amylose = Good for energy storage
Amylopectin = Good for quick energy release
Where is starch stored in plants?
The seeds
What is formed from the condensation reactions of Alpha- glucose?
Glycogen
What is the main energy storage material in animals?
Glycogen
What is a single property of Glycogen that is useful?
Glycogen is a highly branched molecule.
Why glycogen useful beacuse it is highly branched?
If glycogen is highly branched then it is able to release energy quickly.
If glycogen is compact why is it also useful?
If Glycogen is compact then it becoes a goood storage molecule.
What is the relevant link between glycogen and blood glucose levels?
When blood glucose levels decrease then glycogen is broken down to release glucose.
What is the process called when glycogen breaks down to release glucose?
Glycogenolysis
What is cellulose used for in plants
Cellulose is a major component on cell walls in plants.
Cellulose is a long chain made up of what molecule?
Beta- Glucose
Describe how beta-glucose molecules can create cellulose?
Beta- glucose molecules are joined together by glycosidic bonds to form long, linear and unbranched chains of cellulose
What are Microfibrils?
Microfibrils are strong fibres made up of cellulose chains.
What are the cellulose chains in microfibrils held by?
Microfibrils made up of cellulose chains are held together by hydrogen bonds.
How do microfibrils help plant cell walls?
Cell walls can offer structural support due to the strength of the microfibril fibre.
Link between Cellulose and the human digestive enzymes?
Cellulose cannot be broken down by the human digestive enymes.
Other than Amylose being long and unbranched what other property allows it to be good for storage?
Amylose has a helical shape which helps it to be ideal for storage.
(E*)How are the structures of cellulose and glycogen different?
1) Glycogen is a branched structure that forms coils.
Cellulose is a straight chain.
(E*) How are the structural bonds of cellulose and glycogen different?
2) Glycogen has 1,4 and 1,6 glycosidic bonds.
Cellulose only has 1,4 glycosidic bonds.
(E*) How are the structures of cellulose and glycogen different in relation to monomers?
3) Cellulose is a polymer made from beta-glucose monomers.
Glycogen is a polymer made from alpha-glucose monomers.
(E*) How does Glycogen act as an energy source?
1) Glycogen can be hydrolysed to glucose.
(E*) How does Glycogen act as an energy source?
2) The glucose could be used to release energy through the process of respiration.
(E*) Explain how starch is adapted to its function in the cells of plants? (water)
1) Starch is insoluble in water so it can be stored without affecting the cell’s water potential.
(E*) Explain what feature of starch is adapted to its function in the cells of plants?
2) Starch is helical in shape so that makes it compact for storage.
(E*) Explain how starch is adapted to its function in the cells of plants?
3) Starch is a large molecule so it is unable to leave the cell.
(E*) Why is it impossible for humans to break down cellulose?
Human enzymes cannot break down the 1-4 beta-glucose glycosidic linkage in cellulose beacuse it requires a special enzyme to be broken down.(This enzyme is not present in humans)
