Unit 1: Topic 4 - Properties of Biological Macromolecules

Question 1

What is the monomer of nucleic acids?

Answer 1

The monomers that make up nucleic acids are nucleotides

Question 2

What are the components of nucleotides?

Answer 2

Nucleotides are composed of a 5-carbon sugar (deoxyribose in DNA and ribose in RNA), a phosphate, and a nitrogenous base. The nitrogenous base can either be guanine, cysteine, adenine, thymine (only DNA), or uracil (only RNA).

Question 3

What determines the shape of a protein?

Answer 3

The sequence of amino acids. More specifically, it is caused by the type and sequence of R groups in the amino acids.

Question 4

What are amino acids composed of?

Answer 4

An amino (NH2) terminus and a carboxyl terminus (COOH) along with an R group. R groups make each amino acid different since they each have unique properties.

Question 5

What are R groups, and why are they important?

Answer 5

An R group is the varying part of an amino acid that makes each amino acid unique. Depending on the specific amino acid, the R group can have different chemical properties (hydrophobic, hydrophilic, etc.). They’re important because the interactions between R groups are what give proteins their structure and function.

Question 6

What determines the function and properties of complex carbohydrates?

Answer 6

The structure of the sugar monomers that comprise the complex carbohydrate.

Question 7

What are the structural and functional differences between saturated and unsaturated lipids?

Answer 7

Saturated lipids contain only single bonds, while unsaturated lipids contain at least one double bond. Saturated lipids have a high melting point and are solid at room temperature, while unsaturated lipids have a low melting point and are liquid at room temperature.

Question 8

Do RNA and DNA differ in structure and function?

Answer 8

Yes