bio test unit 1 biochemistry Flashcards
elements for foundation for living things
Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur
Isotopes
- Isotopes are atoms of the same element that differ in the number of their neutrons
- Electrons remain the same outside the nucleus, only the atomic mass of the atom changes.
-Radioisotopes: Isotopes can become unstable, which means that their nucleus decays by emitting radiation in the form of subatomic particles or electromagnetic waves. - Isotopes are commonly used in medical diagnostics called isotope tracing where doctors inject radioactive material into a patient and trace its movement in the body
- Cancerous tissues in the body are characterized by a much higher level of activity than healthy tissue. They tend to consume more glucose because they have rapid uncontrolled cell division.
- Thus, injecting a patient with radioactive glucose, doctors can observe which cells consume glucose faster (positron emission tomography – PET scan)
Molecules
substance composed of two or more non-metal atoms that are covalently bonded together. This means that the atoms share electrons with each other
Many of the molecules of life are organic compounds
Organic compounds
carbon-containing molecule in which carbon atoms are nearly always bonded to each other and to hydrogen
Biochemistry
the study of the activity and properties of biologically important molecules
Covalent Bonding
- Formed between compounds of relatively similar electronegativity, non-metal – non-metal
- This occurs as a result of a balance between the attraction of electrons to the nucleus of an atom and a repulsion of electrons with respect to each other.
- This “sharing” occurs when the orbitals of two atoms overlap resulting in the formation of a new “Hybridized” orbital with lower energy levels then the original orbitals
Ions
- atoms or groups of atoms (polyatomic) that have gained or lost one or more electrons, giving it a positive or negative charge.
- Certain compounds such as NaCl are hydrophilic and dissolve in water and separate into Na+ and Cl- ions. Sodium is an important ion for biological function and neurotransmission
- Some molecules, non-polar molecules, will tend to bond to each other and form clumps in water because they are hydrophobic.
- General rule: “like dissolves like”
Intramolecular force
the force occurring between atoms within a molecule
Ionic
polar covalent
non-polar covalent
Intermolecular force
the force occurring between molecules
Hydrogen bonding
ion dipole
dipole dipole
London dispersion
Acyclic
(Fischer) structure: a sugar in chain form, split at the #1 carbon and oxygen in the chain, with hydrogen and hydroxyl (-OH) groups are presented as horizontal groups
Polar bonds
- unequal sharing of the electrons. One area of the molecule ends up being more negative, and the other more positive
- Polar bonds are determined by looking at the electronegativity of the atoms
- Polar bonds have characteristics of both ionic and non-polar bonds
- The electron is pulled more strongly to the more electronegative element and so spends more time at one end of the bond.
- This results in partial charges, capable of attracting and repelling each other
Macromolecule
a large, complex molecules usually composed of repeating units of smaller molecules covalently linked together
Hydrophobic
non-polar molecules that do not have attraction interactions with water molecules.
Ex: Fats/oils tend to be hydrophobic
Hydrophilic
polar molecules that have attractive interactions with water molecules.
Ex: Glucose is hydrophilic
Cyclic
(Haworth) structure: the sugar exists in ring form, with hydrogen and hydroxyl groups above or below the plane of the ring
Functional Groups
- atoms or groups of atoms attached to a molecule that gives the molecule particular chemical and physical properties. They contain oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and/or sulfur.
- The presence of a carboxyl or hydroxyl group will make a molecule polar
- Carboxyl functional groups will make a molecule acidic
Organic molecules
ALL MOLECULES ARE ORGANIC MOLECULES
made up of only carbon and hydrogen atoms called hydrocarbons. These molecules are non-polar and release lots of energy when broken apart
Polysaccharides
- a carbohydrate polymer composed of many monosaccharides joined together by covalent bonds
- The three common types are starch, glycogen, and cellulose, all composed of glucose.
- The different ways that the glucose units are linked together results in molecules having quite different three dimensional shapes.
polymer
a large structure composed of repeating units of smaller molecules (monomers)
Carbohydrates
- a biological macromolecule that contains carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a 1:2:1 ratio (CH2O).
- Sugars and starches store chemical energy in a way that is easily accessible to the body
- The high number of hydroxyl and carbonyl groups make most carbohydrates polar molecules
- They provide short- and long-term energy storage for living organisms depending on their structure
Isomer
a molecule containing all the same atoms in the same numbers, but different structural arrangements.
Monosaccharides
- One Sugar
– a carbohydrate composed of between three and seven carbon atoms. - “They are “simple” sugars such as glucose, fructose, and galactose
- Glucose, fructose, and galactose are isomers of each other
Why 2 shapes/projections?
- Different molecules have different optical ability
- That is, they affect how light is absorbed and reflected
- It matters if even 1 of those OH groups are pointed in the wrong direction. Changing a molecules 3D shape can have vastly different effects on the molecules function in our bodies
- This is a matter of life and death in pharmaceutical research and drug manufacturing
- For example, enzymes can only bind to molecules with certain conformations (3D shapes)
Disaccharides
- a carbohydrate composed of two monosaccharides joined by a covalent bond.
- The two monosaccharides are covalently bonded by a glycosidic linkage