Lecture focus questions; Bio Molecules

Question 1

What are organic molecules?

Answer 1

-They are compounds that include carbon & use carbon’s ability to make 4 covalent bonds to achieve variety in molecules

Question 2

What are small biological molecules called?

Answer 2

-Metabolites

Question 3

What are larger biological molecules called?

Answer 3

-Macromolecules which are made of polymers of simpler subunits

Question 4

What is a polymer?

Answer 4

-It is a molecule that covalently combines simple subunits

Question 5

How are biological polymers synthesized?

Answer 5

-They are synthesized by dehydration synthesis (condensation reactions) which releases a water molecule from the atoms of the subunits as they are joined

Question 6

How are biological polymers degraded?

Answer 6

-They are degraded by hydrolysis which is where a water molecule is added when the subunits are separated

Question 7

What are the 4 categories of Macromolecules?

Answer 7

• Polypeptides (more= proteins)
• Nucleic Acids
• Triglycerides & phospholipids
• Complex carbohydrates

Question 8

What are the monomers for Polypeptides?

Answer 8

-Amino acids

Question 9

What are the monomers for Nucleic Acids?

Answer 9

-Nucleotides

Question 10

What are the monomers for Triglycerides?

Answer 10

• Fatty acids linked with glycol

- and with a phosphate group for phospholipids

Question 11

What are the monomers for Complex Carbohydrates?

Answer 11

-Simple sugars

Question 12

What is the basic structure for the monomer of Polypeptides?

Answer 12

• The amino acid has a backbone that consists of an amino group at one end and a carboxylic acid group on the other end and an Alpha carbon in the middle
• The variable side chain is attached to the alpha carbon
• There can be 20 amino acids

Question 13

What can be the differences between the 20 amino acids and their side chains?

Answer 13

• The side chains of amino acids can be nonpolar, polar and uncharged, polar and charged
• The polar & uncharged can be acidic or basic

Question 14

What kind of bonds are amino acids in a polypeptide held by?

Answer 14

-The amino acids are held by amide bonds=peptide bonds

Question 15

What happens to the linear polypeptide polymer after synthesis?

Answer 15

• It folds up due to the hydrophobic effect
• After folding, the non-polar side chains are located inside the protein while the polar side chains are outside the protein

Question 16

What is the structure of the monomer nucleotide?

Answer 16

-It is a ribose (or deoxyribose) sugar, a phosphate & a nitrogenous base

Question 17

What are the 5 different nucleotide monomers/base pairs?

Answer 17

• Adenine
• Guanine
• Thymine
• Uracil
• Cytosine

Question 18

What are the 4 base pairs that makeup DNA & what kind of sugar are they made with?

Answer 18

• Adenine
• Thymine
• Guanine
• Cytosine
• They are made with deoxyribose sugar

Question 19

What are the 4 base pairs that makeup RNA & what kind of sugar are they made with?

Answer 19

• Adenine
• Guanine
• Uracil
• Cytosine
• They are made with ribose sugar

Question 20

What’s the difference between Pyrimidines & Purines?

Answer 20

• Pyrimidines are the smaller bc they have 1 rings of atoms

- Purines are bigger bc they have 2 rings of atoms

Question 21

Which basepairs are Pyrimidines?

Answer 21

• Thymine
• Uracil
• Cytosine

Question 22

Which basepairs are Purines?

Answer 22

• Adenine

- Guanine

Question 23

How are the nucleotides in DNA & RNA assembled into a nuclear polymer?

Answer 23

-They are assembled through a backbone of phosphates & sugars connected by covalent phosphodiester bonds

Question 24

What are the 2 ends of a polynucleotide called?

Answer 24

5’ and 3’

-bc they either have a 5 carbon or a 3 carbon sugar sticking out that end

Question 25

In what direction is the sequence of bases written?

Answer 25

5’ to 3’ direction

Question 26

What’s the difference between the structure of DNA & RNA?

Answer 26

• DNA is stored for genetic info & it is double-stranded w/ each strand is made of one covalently connected polymer & the 2 strands are connected to each other via hydrogen bonds
• RNA is used to express it & can be single or double stranded

Question 27

What are lipids?

Answer 27

-They are non-polar molecules that include triglycerides, phospholipids, & steroids

Question 28

What is the structure of Steriods?

Answer 28

-They have 4 rings of C and H atoms & different attachments off the rings

Question 29

What are Triglycerides & their functions?

Answer 29

• They are 3 fatty acids attached to a glycerol

- They can be used as a dense store of energy= storing energy in a small mass

Question 30

What are the fatty acid & glycerol components of Triglycerides?

Answer 30

• Fatty acids include a carboxylic acid at one end connected to a long chain of methylene (CH2) with a methyl (CH3) group at the other end
• Glycerol is a short carbohydrate w/ 3 carbon atoms & 3 hydroxyl groups

Question 31

What are key characteristics of Saturated Fatty Acids?

Answer 31

-They only have single bonds between carbon atoms & are fully saturated for hydrogen atoms

Question 32

What are the key characteristics for Unsaturated Fatty Acids?

Answer 32

• AKA fats or oils

- They have some double bonds (kinks) between carbon atoms and are oils in room temperature

Question 33

What are the 2 types of bonds in Unsaturated Fatty Acids?

Answer 33

-A double bond can either be Cis or Trans

Question 34

What is the difference between Cis and Trans fatty acids in Unsaturated Fatty Acids?

Answer 34

• Cis bonds are made from natural triglycerides

- Trans are made artificially by “partial hydrogenation” of cis fatty acids

Question 35

What is the relationship between fatty acids & health?

Answer 35

• Cis unsaturated fatty acids are the healthiest
• While saturated fatty acids are less healthy & can lead to heart disease when eaten a lot
• And trans fatty acids are hella unhealthy

Question 36

What are Phospholipids?

Answer 36

-They are molecules that contain 2 fatty acids and a phosphate/ modified phosphate attached to a glycerol

Question 37

What is the role of Phospholipids?

Answer 37

-They are used as a major component of cellular membranes which are aggregates of lipids

Question 38

What is the structure of Phospholipids?

Answer 38

• They have a Polar head & a Non-polar tails

- They associated in a bilayer w/ Polar head facing water & Non-polar tails associating together inside the bilayer

Question 39

What is a Simple Sugar?

Answer 39

-it is a carbohydrate= has general formula of (CH2O)n

Question 40

What is the structure of a Simple Sugar?

Answer 40

• For 5 carbon sugars, they are used in RNA & DNA

- The 6 carbon sugars include glucose, fructose, galactose

Question 41

What are the 2 roles a complex carbohydrate can have?

Answer 41

• Structural

- And energy storage

Question 42

What complex carbohydrate plays the role of Structure?

Answer 42

-Cellulose which is found in plants & is the most common biological molecules on earth

Question 43

Which complex carbohydrates play the role of Energy Storage

Answer 43

• Glycogen and starch

- Glycogen is found in animals while starch is found in plants

Question 44

What is the difference between the complex carbohydrates Glycogen & Starch?

Answer 44

• Glycogen is found in animals & provides short term energy storage in animals (when we sleep)
• Starch is found in plants & supplies energy to them

Question 45

What is our food made of?

Answer 45

-They are mostly made of cells= mostly macromolecules

Question 46

What are the properties of foods determined by?

Answer 46

-The properties of macromolecules (sequences & how they are digested/hydrolyzed)