2.2 BIOLOGICAL MOLECULES Flashcards
what is a condensation reaction?
reaction that occurs when two molecules are joined together resulting in the removal of water
what is a hydrolysis reaction?
reaction that occurs when a molecule is split into two smaller molecules with the addition of water
what is covalent bonding?
the sharing of electrons with other atoms, it is shown by the drawing of one line
what is a monomer?
a small molecule which binds to many other identical molecules to form a polymer
what is a polymer?
a large molecule made from many smaller molecules called monomers
what is the monomer and polymer of a carbohdrate?
monomer - Monosaccharides
polymer - Polysaccharides
what is the monomer and polymer of a protein?
monomer - Amino Acids
polymer - Polypeptides and proteins
what is the monomer and polymer of a nucleic acid?
monomer - Nucleotides
polymer - DNA and RNA
what are some properties of water?
- it is a reactant in many chemical reaction
- a solvent meaning some substances can dissolve in it, seeing as most biological reactions take place in solution it is essential
- transports substances
- aids temperature regulation due to high specific heat capacity and high latent heat of evaporation
what is the simple structure of a water molecule (including charges)?
A molecule of water (h20) is one atom of oxygen joined to two atoms of hydrogen by shared electrons
The shared negative hydrogen electrons are pulled towards the oxygen atom, the other side of each hydrogen atom is left with a slight positive charge
The unshared negative electrons on the oxygen atom give it a slight negative charge
This makes water a polar molecule - it has a partial negative (δ-) charge on one side and a partial positive (δ+) charge on the other
The slightly negatively-charged oxygen atoms attract the slightly- positively charged hydrogen atoms of other water molecules
what is the attraction in water molecules called?
hydrogen bonding
