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Biology > Biological molecules > Flashcards

Biological molecules Flashcards

carbohydrates, lipids, enzymes, proteins, nucleic acids, ATP, water, inorganic ions

1
Q

What is a polymer, give examples

A

A polymer is the joining of many monomers to form a long chain
Protein, DNA RNA, Starch, Glycogen, Cellulose

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2
Q

What is a monomer, give examples

A

The smallest unit that joins together to form a polymer
Amino acids, Glucose (alpha, beta), nucleotides (ribose, deoxyribose)

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3
Q

What is a hydrolysis reaction?

A

The break down bonds of a substance using water to make smaller molecules

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4
Q

What is a condensation reaction?

A

The build up of bonds to form a larger molecule and expelling water as a product

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5
Q

What are the monomers of carbohydrates?

A

Monosaccharides, all contain carbon hydrogen and oxygen

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6
Q

Explain differences of alpha glucose and beta glucose

A

Alpha OH group- down
Beta OH group- up

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7
Q

What is the difference between disaccharide and polysaccharides?

A

Disaccharides are made up of two monosaccharides whereas polysaccharides are made up of many joining monosaccharides

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8
Q

What are the components of maltose disaccharide?

A

Two αlpha glucose monomers joined

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9
Q

What are the components of lactose disaccharide?

A

Galactose and αlpha glucose joined

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10
Q

What are the components of sucrose disaccharide?

A

Fructose and αlpha glucose joined

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11
Q

Explain how to test for a reducing sugar

A

-Dissolve the food sample in boiling water in a test tube.
-Add in Benedicts solution
-observe a colour change from blue to brick red

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12
Q

Explain how to test for a non reducing sugar

A

-complete a negative test for the food sample and observe no colour change (stay blue)
-add an enzyme
-boil with acid to hydrolyse the glycosidic bonds
-neutralise
-retest

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13
Q

What solution tests for starch

A

Iodine solution will bind to starch molecules
-colour change from orange/yellow to blue/black

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14
Q

Explain the structure of glycogen

A

1,4 and 1,6 glycosidic bond
Alpha glucose joined together by a condensation reaction
highly branched and not coiled
Glycogen is more branched than amylopectin making it more compact which helps animals store more.

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15
Q

Explain the structure of cellulose

A

Straight alternating beta glucose chain of 1,4 glycosidic bonds. Hydrogen bonds (since alternated OH can form h bonds) between chains to join to make microfibrils
provides rigidity to cell

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16
Q

Explain the structure of starch

A

Amylose (10 - 30% of starch)
Unbranched helix-shaped (compact) chain with 1,4 glycosidic bonds
Amylopectin (70 - 90% of starch)
1,4 and 1,6 glycosidic bonds creating a branched molecule
The branches allow to be easily hydrolysed for use during cellular respiration or added to for storage

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17
Q

How is glycogen broken down

A

easily hydrolysed since branches, by amylase into maltose, maltase into glucose for respiration

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18
Q

What are the components of a triglyceride and how is it formed

A

Three fatty acid chains, one glycerol, joined by an ester bond product water since a condensation reaction

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19
Q

What is the difference between a saturated fatty acid and an unsaturated fatty acids

A

saturated has a carbon single bond in the straight chain, which causes it to have a high melting point
unsaturated has a carbon double bond forming a bent chain. this weakens the force so lowers melting point

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20
Q

What are the components of a phospholipid

A

phosphate and glycerol head -hydrophilic
two fatty acid chain (saturated, unsaturated) - hydrophoibic

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21
Q

What is the test used to identify lipids?

A

add ethanol to sample and shake
then add water and shake
cloudy if positive

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22
Q

How does the structure of a triglyceride link to its function

A

The long hydrocarbon chain have high ration of C-H bonds so triglycerides can store twice as much
non polar so do not dissolve in water- do not effect water potential
form insoluble droplets in cells since fatty acid tails bunch together
high ration of OH bonds, so water is released when oxidised so important source of water
part of the composition of the myelin sheath that surrounds nerve fibres which provides insulation

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23
Q

What is the function of phospholipids?

A

main component of cell membranes
a phospholipid bilayer forms
This acts as a barrier to water-soluble molecules

24
Q

Name the bond that joins glycerol and fatty acids?

A

Ester bond

25
Q

What is monomer of protein

A

amino acids

26
Q

what groups combine to make an amico acids

A

amine group, carboxyl group, R group

27
Q

what differs the 20 naturally occurring amino acids

A

the R group changes

28
Q

what is the primary structure of a protein and what bonds hold it together

A

the order of amino acids in the polypeptide chain joined by peptide bonds

29
Q

what is the secondary structure of a protein

A

Hydrogen bonds form between amino acids causing chain to coil/ fold
- alpha helix
-beta helix

30
Q

what is the tertiary structure of a protein

A

the overall 3D shape pf the protein

31
Q

Explain alpha and beta helixes

A

Alpha is the coiled chain held by hydrogen intramolecular forces
Beta pleated sheets are the folding of the chains

32
Q

What is the quaternary structure

A

The joining of more than one polypeptide chain

33
Q

What is an example of a quaternary structure

A

Heamaglobin in the blood
DNA Polymerase

34
Q

what is meant by denatured

A

when the tertiary structure is lost so the £D shape changes as the bonds break

35
Q

what are enzymes an example of

A

they are examples of proteins that have a tertiary structure to form a specifically shaped active site that can bind to the substrate that has a specific complimentary shape

36
Q

What are monomers of an enzyme

A

amino acids
(since enzyme is example of protein)

37
Q

Explain what is meant by the term inorganic ions and where they occur in the body

A

Polar, charged particles that do not contain carbon atoms found in the cytoplasm and in bodily fluids.

38
Q

Explain the specific role of hydrogen ions and relate this to the properties of hydrogen ions

A

Important role in respiration and photosynthesis

Reduces the pH of solutions – carbon dioxide is dissolved in water (both are products of respiration) à H+ + HCO2-

39
Q

Explain the specific role of iron ions and relate this to the properties of iron ions.

A

Allows O2 molecules to bind to the 4 polypeptide chains that form haemoglobin so they can be transported to cells around the body for respiration

40
Q

Explain the specific role of sodium ions and relate this to the properties of sodium ions

A

Allow transport of molecules across the cell membrane via specific carrier/transport proteins i.e. co-transport of glucose and amino acids absorbed in the small intestine

41
Q

Explain the specific role of phosphate ions and relate this to the properties of phosphate ions

A

Negative sugar phosphate backbone of DNA and RNA

Hydrophilic head of phospholipids ——>. phospholipid bilayer of cell membrane —->. vesicles

42
Q

Explain the meaning of the term specific heat capacity and the importance of the high specific heat capacity of water to living things.

A

The amount of energy required to raise 1g of water by 1°C to break the H-bonds and increase the temperature
A high specific heat capacity will allow water to maintain their temperatures and buffers sudden changes in temperatures which will allow living organisms to survive

43
Q

Explain the meaning of the term latent heat of vaporisation and the importance of the latent heat of vaporisation of water to living things.

A

The amount of energy required for water to evaporate (liquid à gas) by breaking the H-bonds.
effective coolant through sweating

44
Q

Explain 3 other reasons why water is important to living organisms.

A

Water is a universal solvent allows the transport of substances and waste removal.
Water is a metabolite and is involved in biochemical reactions i.e. hydrolysis, condensation, photosynthesis and respiration.
Cohesion between water molecules via H-bonds provides:
· Surface tension to support organisms
· Develop bodies of water
· Translocation of water i.e. in plants

45
Q

Give differences between RNA and DNA

A

RNA- AUCG, ribose, no hydrogen bond, short single strand
DNA-ATCG, deoxyribose, h bonds, long double strand

46
Q

What is the function of DNA?

A

To transfer information from generation to generation. Codes for proteins.

47
Q

What is the function of RNA?

A

It transfers genetic information from DNA to the ribosomes

48
Q

Name the complementary base pairs and state how many hydrogen bonds hold the bases together.

A

Cytosine-guanine, 3 hydrogen bonds. Adenine-thymine, 2 hydrogen bonds

49
Q

Why is DNA replication described as semi-conservative?

A

DNA replication is described as semi-conservative because each daughter DNA has one original parent strand and one new strand.

50
Q

Describe simply what conservative replication is

A

Conservative replication would create one daughter cell made of the 2 original parent strands and one daughter cell made of 2 completely new strands

51
Q

describe the process of semi-conservative replication

A

Semi-conservative replication begins with the unwinding of DNA and the breaking of the hydrogen bonds by the enzyme DNA helicase. This exposes the bases.
There are free nucleotides floating around the nucleus. These free bases pair with the exposed bases and DNA polymerase joins all of the new nucleotides together.
This continues until the entire molecule of DNA has been replicated.

52
Q

Describe and explain the evidence for semi-conservative replication.

A

Meselsen Stahl – grow E. coli in 15N, then transfer to 14N.
Centrifuge
Generation 0 = all heavy
Gen 1 = all medium
Gen 2 = half light, half medium
Gen 3 = 75% light 25% medium

53
Q

What is the function of DNA helicase?

A

To unwind the DNA and break the hydrogen bonds between complementary bases the two DNA strands so each strand can act as a template for a new strand.

54
Q

What is the function of DNA polymerase?

A

To form the phosphodiester bond between the phosphate on one nucleotide and the pentose on the next nucleotide in a condensation reaction

55
Q

Name the bond joining 2 nucleotides together

A

Phosphodiester bond

56
Q

Why is the degree of saturation of the fatty acid chains important?

A

A high degree of saturation increases the increases the strength of the intramolecular forces between the chains (1) and increases their melting point (1).A high ratio of C-H bonds can store twice as much energy as carbohydrates. (1

Biology (6 decks)

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