Unit 1 - Biology and Macromolecules Flashcards
What are organic compounds?
Compounds that contain CARBON are called
organic.
Uniqueness of carbon:
- Can form millions of large, complex structures
- Can easily bond with other chemicals
- Can form chains or rings
- Can form single, double or triple bonds
Info on carbon compound:
- Carbon can bond with many elements including oxygen,
phosphorus, sulfur and nitrogen. - These combinations help to form the molecules of life.
Macromolecules:
- Many organic compounds in living cells are so large they are
called macromolecules. - Macromolecules form by polymerization large compounds
are built by joining smaller ones together - Smaller units are monomers
- Can be similar or different from each other - They form larger compounds polymers
- When polymers break down into monomers they are used
for energy.
What are polymers?
Many monomers,
usually but not always
are organic
What are monomers?
A (one) molecule that is
able to bond in long
chains
Examples of polymers:
Proteins
Polysaccharides (carbohydrate)
Nucleic Acids
Lipids
Maltose
Sucrose
Lactose
Examples of monomers:
Amino acids
Monosaccharides
Nucleotides
Glycerol and fatty acids
Glucose
Fructose
Galactose
What are the four biomolecules?
Carbohydrates
Lipids
Proteins
Nucleic Acids …
DNA and RNA
Carbohydrates:
- Carbohydrates are compounds made up of carbon,
hydrogen, oxygen (CHO) - Found in 1:2:1 ratio
- Function:
Living things use carbohydrates as their main source of
energy
Used for structural purposes as in plant cells
Carbohydrates continued…
CARBOHYDRATES
- Found in foods like cake, pasta and rice
- Monomer-Monosaccharide
- If it ends with OSE…it is a sugar!
- FructOSE, GlucOSE all sugars.
Monosaccharides:
One Sugar Unit:
examples:
- glucose C6H12O6
- deoxyribose
- ribose
- fructose
- galactose
Disaccharides:
Two sugar units
Sucrose (glucose + fructose)
Lactose (glucose + galactose)
Maltose (glucose + glucose)
Polysaccharides (complex carbohydrates):
Many sugar units
Examples:
Starch (bread)
Glycogen (beef muscle)
Cellulose ( lettuce)
Lipids:
Lipids are made mostly from carbon, hydrogen
and oxygen (CHO)
Examples: fats, oil, waxes, steroids
* Comprised of many fatty acids joined together
(monomer)
* Function
Used to store energy (long term)
Parts of biological membranes and waterproof
coverings
￭ Phospholipid bilayer
What are Lipids?
Lipids are macromolecules made of fatty acid monomers.
- Functions of lipids include structural support for the cell, energy storage, and cell signaling.
- Lipids are typically nonpolar in nature and do not interact with water, though some exceptions exist.
Types of lipids:
Triglycerides
Phospholipids
Steroids and Waxes
Lipid Structure:
Fats, Oils, Cholesterol, Waxes
Monomer: Fatty Acid
Polymer: Lipid
Phospholipid:
- Structure (3 parts):
- “Head” = Glycerol &
Phosphate
- “Tails” = 2 Fatty acids
- Function: Make up the cell membrane
Triglyceride:
- Structure (2 parts):
- “Head” = Glycerol
- “Tails” = 3 Fatty acids
- Function: Provide energy for cells, insulation
- Cholesterol: Gives
cell membrane
flexibility
Saturated:
- Animal fats
- Dairy products
Characteristics:
Tend to remain solid at room temperature
Health impacts: - raises total cholesterol
- increases risk of heart disease
- keep intake low
Nucleic Acids:
Nucleic acids contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen,
nitrogen, phosphorus and (CHONP)
* Consist of individual monomers,nucleotides
* Function
Nucleic acids store and transmit hereditary or genetic
information
￭ Ex. DNA, RNA
DNA
- Double helix
Adenine
Cytosine
Thymine
Guanine
Sugar
Pentose sugar (ribose or deoxyribose)
Phosphate
Backbone
Nitrogenous base
What is replication?
DNA - DNA
What is transcription?
DNA - RNA
What is translation?
RNA - Protein
Proteins:
Proteins are polymers of molecules called amino
acids
Contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen (CHON)
Function
Proteins control the rate of reactions (enzymes) and
regulate cell processes.
Form important cellular structures
Transport substances into or out of cells or help to fight
disease.
Structure of proteins:
Proteins are classified by number of amino acids in a chain.
Dipeptides: 2 amino acids
Tripeptides: 3 amino acids
Peptides: 2- 50 amino acids
Polypeptides: 51 or more amino acids
Proteins: more than 50 amino acids, that are
Typically 100 to 10,000 amino acids linked together
1 - the substrate, sucrose, consists of glucose fructose bonded together.
2 - the substrate binds to the enzyme, forming an enzyme-substrate complex.
3 - the binding of the substrate and enzyme places stress on the glucose-fructose bond and the bond breaks.
4 - products are released, and the enzyme is free to bind other substrates.
What is a chemical reaction?
A chemical reaction is a
process that changes one
set of chemicals into
another.
The elements or
compounds that enter into a chemical reaction
reactants.
The elements or
compounds produced by
the chemical reaction
products.
Energy is released or absorbed when chemical
bonds are formed or broken
- Chemical reactions that release energy often occur
spontaneously (no external energy needed).
- Chemical reactions that absorb energy will NOT occur
without an energy source.
What is an enzyme?
Proteins that function as biological catalysts by
accelerating chemical reactions.
Properties of enzymes:
All are proteins
All speed up reactions
Required in small amounts
All are substrate specific
Enzymes are made to fit a
specific substrate like a
puzzle piece.
What is a substrate?
the reactants of enzyme-catalyzed reactions
What is an active site?
the site on the enzyme where the substrate binds
The enzyme-substrate complex:
Enzymes provide a site where reactants can be brought
together. Such a site reduces the amount of energy needed for
the reaction to occur.
The substrate and active site have
complementary shapes and are often referred
to as “lock and key”.
Enzymes as catalysts…
Catalysts are substances that will speed up the rate of a reaction
but lower the Activation Energy…
Activation Energy is the energy needed to start a reaction
Enzymes modify and lower the activation energy needed to start
a reaction
Regulation of enzyme activity
Temperature – human cells work best at 37 degrees Celsius , this
is the Optimum Temperature or the temperature that the
enzyme works at its best. Hot speeds up collisions, cold slows
down collisions
pH – enzymes work best at certain ionic conditions and pH
(acidic or alkaline)
Enzymes exposed to extremes will become denatured and will
lose it’s shape and can no longer function
How does temperature change an enzyme?
Heat above 40*C
The active site of the enzyme changes shape and can no longer bind to the substrate. It has been denatured.
Enzymatic reactions of human interest
Catalase breaks hydrogen peroxide down into water and oxygen
Lipase breaks down lipids into Glycerol and fatty acids
Amylase breaks down amylose (starch or complex carbohydrates)
into maltose (simple sugars) can be used as fuel for a developing
embryo
Protease breaks down proteins in the stomach into amino acids
and works best in acidic conditions pH of 1 or 2
Pepsin breaks down large polypeptides into smaller ones-breaks
peptide bonds
Lactase – breaks down milk sugars…when people do not make this
enzyme they are lactose intolerant
Testing for simple carbohydrates
Benedict’s solution is
the color blue and will
change into an
orange/red color
when heated in a
water bath if simple
carbohydrates (e.g.
glucose) are present
in the food source.
Testing for complex carbohydrates (starch)
Lugol’s reagent
(iodine solution)is a
yellowish brown
colour and will change
to dark purple/black
in presence of starch.
Testing for proteins
Biuret solution is the
color blue and will
change into a purple
color if proteins are
present in the food
source.
Testing for lipids
Sudan red is fat soluble and it is the color red and will stain lipids a red orange color, spots will appear if they are present in the food source.
Brown paper lunch bags are made out of a type of paper that easily absorbs oils and fats called lipids. If lipids are present a stain will remain after the area dries.
