Unit 2: Micromolecules Flashcards
What are monomers and polymers?
monomers - smaller molecules
polymers - multiple monomers bonded together
What is dehydration synthesis?
a water molecule is removed from a monomer so that it bonds with a polymer
What is hydrolysis?
opposite of dehydration synthesis
water molecules is added to break the bond between monomers
What are the uses of carbohydrates?
main energy source for cells
also used for structure in plant cell walls + arthropod exoskeletons
What is the elemental makeup of a carbohydrate?
carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
in ratio of 1C : 2H : 1O
what are monosaccharides and polysaccharides?
types of carbohydrates
monosaccharides are monomers made up of only one sugar molecule
polysaccharides are made of multiple monosaccharides joined together by dehydration synthesis.
What is a lipid? What are their main purposes?
not a polymer, unlike the other four macromolecule types
used to maintain body heat + store energy long term
also found in cells’ plasma membranes
What are the four types of macromolecules?
carbohydrates
proteins
lipids
nucleic acids
What is a lipid’s elemental makeup?
carbon and hydrogen
What are two examples of lipid categories?
hormones
steroids
What is the elemental makeup of a protein?
made of nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen
what is an amino acid
monomer that makes up proteins
Describe the structure of an amino acid.
contains 4 groups:
01 amino group (-NH2)
02 a hydrogen atom
03 carboxyl group (-COOH)
04 variable R-group, which is unique to the identity of the amino acid
How are amino acids linked together? What is the name for multiple amino acids linked together?
peptide bonds
known as a polypeptide
How is a peptide bond formed?
formed between carbon from the carboxyl group of one amino acid and the nitrogen from the amino group of the other amino acid
What are the four levels of structure of polypeptides?
primary - a chain of amino acids
secondary - folding or coiling of the polypeptide chain
tertiary - 3d structure formed by further folding + arranging a polypeptide chain
quaternary - multiple polypeptide chains folded together
name the nine purposes of proteins
making up cytoskeleton (cell skeleton)
speeding up chemical reactions
packing DNA to form chromosomes
transportation inside a cell
hormones
movement
fighting germs
cell surface receptors
what does a catalyst do?
speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction by lowering the activation energy
What is a substrate?
reactant in rxn with an enzyme
is broken down by an enzyme
What is the active site of an enzyme?
where the substrate bonds to the enzyme and is broken down
What is the lock and key theory?
specific enzymes fit only specific substrates
they match together in a unique way like a lock and key
What factors effect enzyme activity? What can these factors cause?
pH
temperature
ionic strength
solubility
can cause proteins to unwind
What is denaturing?
when an enzyme unwinds and loses its active site
true or false: Enzymes can only be used in a reaction once.
false
they are reusable!!
What does the suffix -ase indicate?
common naming convention for enzymes
what comes before -ase maybe indicates what the enzyme breaks down
What are the two types of nucleic acid?
DNA
RNA
What is the purpose of DNA?
contains information (genes!!)
What is the purpose of RNA?
uses the information contained in DNA to build proteins
What do the R and D in DNA and RNA stand for?
R - ribose
D - deoxyribose
What is a nucleotide?
monomer that makes up nucleic acids
What are the three parts of a nucleotide?
nitrogenous base
pentose (sugar)
phosphate group
What are the two categories of nucleotides?
purines
pyramidines
What is a purine? List them.
nucleotide that has two rings
adenine
guanine
What is a pyrimidine? list them
nucleotide with only one ring
cytosine, thymine, uracil
What physically differentiates DNA and RNA?
DNA has two strands
RNA has only one strand
What are the bases of DNA?
adenine
guanine
cytosine
thymine
What are the bases of RNA?
adenine
guanine
cytosine
uracil
What differentiates the bases of DNA from the bases of RNA?
DNA has thymine, RNA has uracil
