1.3 Molecules in Cells

Question 1

what are the three types of molecules in cells?

Answer 1

organic macromolecules, organic micro molecules and inorganic molecules

Question 2

what are the organic macromolecules in cells? How large are they?

Answer 2

CLPN carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids

-they are very large and composed of 100, 1000, and 10000 subunits

Question 3

what are organic micromolecules in cells, how much of the body do they make up, and what is its structure foundation?

Answer 3

they are vitamins which are small and lack subunits. they make up 1/3 of the body. has a structural foundation of carbon which can form chains, rings, and branching structures

-H, O, N, and P are often involved

Question 4

what are carbohydrates?

Answer 4

are carbs and sugar molecules. they can be monosaccharides made up of one sugar, disaccharides made up of two sugars, or polysaccharides made up of many sugars

Question 5

what are the five functions of carbohydrates, where are excess carbohydrates stored, what are they the building blocks for, and what do they help produce and make?

Answer 5

-turns into ATP and it’s an immediate energy source for plants and animals

-excess carbohydrates in the body is stored as glycogen in the muscles or liver

-is the building block for glycoproteins and cell surface markers, and transport molecules

-helps produce genetic material

-helps make plant cell walls

Question 6

what are lipids?

Answer 6

-macro molecules made up of non-polar covalent bonds linking carbon and hydrogen making them hydrophobic

Question 7

what is the typical structure of fats?

Answer 7

is glycerol connected to fatty acids

Question 8

what is the structure of phospholipids?

Answer 8

a glycerol connected to two fatty acids and a phosphate group

Question 9

what are waxes made of?

Answer 9

esters of esters and alcohols

Question 10

what is the structure of steroids?

Answer 10

cholesterol with 4 joined hydrocarbon rings with varying functional groups attached

Question 11

what are the 6 functions of lipids, and what do they carry what do they help make?

Answer 11

-used for long term energy storage because they pack more energy per gram than carbohydrates

-help carry vitamins that are fat soluble

-used to insulate nerves (myelin, an insulating layer that forms around nerves)

-major building blocks of cell membranes, make up phospholipids

-manufacturing (the creation or production) of some hormones like steroids

-waterproof coating for plants

Question 12

What are protein and protein structure?

Answer 12

-they are the second most abundant molecules in the body next to carbs

-the structure is a polymer made up of many monomers of amino acids

-looks like carbon with three parts attached to it, an amino group NH2, and carboxyl group COOH and an R group which is the function group

Question 13

what is an R group?

Answer 13

a function group that is unique to each amino acid and determines how amino acids interact with one another and how proteins interact with other molecules

Question 14

how many amino acids are in the body and how many are essential?

Answer 14

there are 20 amino acids in the body and 8 are essential

Question 15

what links amino acids together?

Answer 15

peptide bonds link amino acids together like beads on a necklace

Question 16

what are the four functions of proteins?

Answer 16

1.they are the fundamental building blocks of most cellular components

2.they function as enzymes which are proteins that help speed up chemical reactions in our body allowing cellular reactions to occur rapidly at a stable temperature

3. some proteins act as antibodies, hormones, pH buffer transport proteins
4. fibrinogen is a blood plasma protein in the liver that prevents blood clotting

Question 17

what are nucleic acids made of, and what do the monomers contain?

Answer 17

nucleic acids are made up of polymers made of nucleotide monomers. the monomers contain a pentose sugar that is a ribose or deoxyribose, one or more phosphate groups, one of the five nitrogenous bases (adenine, guanine, cyanine, thymine, uracil)

Question 18

pyrimidines vs purines

Answer 18

pyrimidines are thymine, cytosine, and uracil and are smaller because they are single-ringed. purines are adenine and guanine and they are larger because they have two rings

Question 19

what are the three functions of nucleic acids?

Answer 19

1. form genetic codes with hydrogen bonds forming between specific nitrogenous bases on opposite strands. the double-stranded molecule is twisted into a helix
2. they form RNA, single-stranded genetic codes with uracil instead of thymine. they are necessary for protein synthesis and enzyme manufacturing
3. they form ATP which is molecular currency which transports chemical energy within cells for metabolism

Question 20

what are organic micro molecules, what are their restrictions, what are they the major roles in?

Answer 20

organic molecules are vitamins which are small organic molecules that we consume in small doses. they do not form polymers and cannot be made by the body. they play a major role in energy pathways as coenzymes/cofactors

Question 21

what do vitamins do?

Answer 21

they help with the maintenance and growth of the body. they impact the function of our eyes, teeth, lungs, G1 tract, nervous system, bones, and blood

Question 22

what are water-soluble vitamin, three properties, how do they work?

Answer 22

vitamin B and C are water-soluble, they dissolve easily in water and generally don’t store well. they absorb directly into the blood, travel freely, and are eliminated daily by the kidneys and thus are needed in frequent small doses. they are sensitive to heat and light.

Question 23

what are fat-soluble vitamins?

Answer 23

vitamins ADEK are fat soluble. they only dissolve easily in fat and require protein transport molecules to move through the blood. the body retreives them as needed for the liver. they do not readily excrete these vitamins and therefore they do not need to be consumed every day. they are more heat and light stable and are not destroyed by cooking and storage.

Question 24

what are inorganic molecules in cells?

Answer 24

these are molecules that are not carbon-based. they contain only a few atoms and bonds and they are generally much smaller than organic molecules. they may contain a few carbons. the main inorganic molecules include water, electrolytes, and gases.

Question 25

what is water?

Answer 25

water is one of the most abundant molecules in the body. They make up 60-65 percent of our bodies. they possess unique properties due to their strong polar nature and ability to form H-bonds. you can survive several weeks without foodbut only a few days without water.

Question 26

water are the six properties of water and how do they work?

Answer 26

1. Chemical reactant, water is directly used in important chemical reactions such as synthesis and decomposition
2. Cushioning, water protects organs from physical damage, and baths the brain and spinal cord in fluid
3. Lubricant, prevents friction and damage to moving organs such as the heart, lungs, stomach and intestines
4. Stabilize temperature, by absorbing a releasing heat slowly
5. Transport medium, move important substances from place to place using the blood or lymph
6. Universal solvent, more things dissolve in water than in any other solvent. chemicals in metabolism can only work if the chemicals are dissolved in water.

Question 27

what are electrolytes?

Answer 27

molecules that dissolve in solutions into charged atoms such as ions, salts and acids and bases

Question 28

what are the four functions of electrolytes?

Answer 28

maintain salt and water acid and base balance, aid in bone and teeth formation, nerve and muscle cell function, enzyme activation

Question 29

what is the function of calcium?

Answer 29

blood clotting, muscle contraction, hormone secretion, synapse

Question 30

what is the function of sodium?
a, m, n

Answer 30

maintains acid-base balance, muscle contraction, nerve transmission

Question 31

what is the function of potassium?
n,m,s

Answer 31

nerve transmission, muscle contraction, steady heartbeat

Question 32

what is the function of iron?
h, e, n

Answer 32

hemoglobin and myoglobin for oxygen transport and storage, enzyme cofactor, neurotransmitter synthesis

Question 33

what is the function of iodine?
t, b, m, c

Answer 33

an integral part of the thyroid hormones, regulates body temperature, metabolic rate, blood cell formation

Question 34

what percent of oxygen is in the atmosphere, what is it essential for, what is it distinct from

Answer 34

it makes up 20 percent of the atmosphere, it is essential of aerobic transformation, it is distinct from oxygen atoms

Question 35

what percent of CO2 makes up the atmosphere, what is it a source of, and what is it a waste product of?

Answer 35

0.03 percent of the atmosphere is made of carbon dioxide, it is a source of carbon in organic molecules, waste product of respiration

Question 36

what is the function of nitric acid?

Answer 36

nitic acid acts as a neurotransmitter, a hormone, it relaxes smooth muscles

Question 37

what is carbon monoxide

Answer 37

a poisonous gas