Skip to main content
Indietro

General Biology: Macromolecules and Their Functions

I pulsanti di controllo sono stati cambiati in modalità "navigazione".
1/27

Termini in questo insieme (27)

  • What are the four categories of biological macromolecules?
    Carbohydrates, Proteins, Lipids, and Nucleic acids.
  • Define monomer and polymer in biological macromolecules.
    A monomer is a single building block molecule; a polymer is many monomers covalently bonded together.
  • What is dehydration synthesis?
    A reaction that covalently bonds monomers together by removing a water molecule.
  • What is hydrolysis?
    A reaction that breaks polymers into monomers by adding a water molecule.
  • What defines organic compounds in biology?
    Compounds that contain carbon, except carbon dioxide which is inorganic.
  • What is the monomer of carbohydrates?
    A monosaccharide.
  • What is the chemical ratio of elements in carbohydrates?
    Carbohydrates are made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a 1:2:1 ratio.
  • Name three polysaccharides and their functions.
    Starch stores energy in plants, glycogen stores energy in animals, cellulose provides plant cell wall structure.
  • What are lipids and their general property regarding water?
    Lipids are large molecules that are hydrophobic (water-fearing) and do not mix with water.
  • Describe the structure of triglycerides.
    A glycerol molecule covalently bonded to three fatty acids via dehydration synthesis.
  • Difference between saturated and unsaturated fats?
    Saturated fats have only single bonds and are solid at room temperature; unsaturated fats have one or more double bonds causing bends and are liquid.
  • What are trans fats?
    Artificially made fats where double bonds are broken and hydrogens added, making them unhealthy saturated fats.
  • Describe the structure and function of phospholipids.
    Phospholipids have a glycerol, two fatty acids (hydrophobic tails), and a phosphate head (hydrophilic); they form cell membranes as bilayers.
  • What are steroids and their structure?
    Hydrophobic lipids made of four fused carbon rings, including cholesterol and hormones.
  • What is the monomer of proteins?
    An amino acid.
  • What groups are bonded to the central carbon in an amino acid?
    A hydrogen, an amino group (-NH3), a carboxyl group (-COOH), and a variable side chain (R group).
  • What determines a protein's structure and function?
    The 3D folding of the protein, which is determined by amino acid sequence and interactions.
  • List the four levels of protein structure.
    Primary (amino acid sequence), secondary (alpha helix or beta sheet), tertiary (3D folding), quaternary (multiple subunits).
  • What causes protein denaturation?
    Heat, salt concentration changes, and strong acids or bases can cause loss of shape and function.
  • What are the two types of nucleic acids?
    DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid).
  • What is the monomer of nucleic acids?
    A nucleotide, composed of sugar, phosphate, and nitrogenous base.
  • Name the nitrogenous bases in DNA and RNA.
    DNA: adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine; RNA: adenine, uracil, cytosine, guanine.
  • What is the shape of DNA?
    A double helix.
  • What is the base pairing rule in DNA?
    A pairs with T, and G pairs with C.
  • What is the base pairing rule between DNA and RNA?
    DNA adenine pairs with RNA uracil; DNA guanine pairs with RNA cytosine.
  • What is the function of DNA?
    Stores genetic information and instructions for making proteins.
  • How are the DNA backbone strands held together?
    By covalent bonds between the sugar of one nucleotide and the phosphate of the next.