Unit 3 List 1 Macromolecules Flashcards
Macromolecule
A very large molecule important to biological processes.
Organic
Relating to, or derived from living organisms.
Monomer
Atoms or small molecules that bond together to form more complex structures such as polymers.
Polymer
Any of a class of natural or synthetic substances composed of very large molecules, called macromolecules.
Carbohydrates
Sugar molecules.
Lipids
Fatty compounds that perform a variety of functions in your body.
Fatty acids
The building blocks of the fat in our bodies and in the food we eat.
Protein
Made up of chemical ‘building blocks’ called amino acids.
Amino acids
Molecules that combine to form proteins.
Enzymes
Proteins that help speed up metabolism, or the chemical reactions in our bodies.
Catalyst
A substance that enables a chemical reaction to proceed at a usually faster rate or under different conditions (as at a lower temperature) than otherwise possible.
Nucleic acids
Large biomolecules that play essential roles in all cells and viruses.
Nucleotide
A molecule that is the basic building block of the nucleic acids DNA and RNA.
Hormone
Chemical messengers that affect and manage hundreds of bodily processes.
Steroids
A man-made version of hormones normally produced by the adrenal glands.
