Biochemistry

Question 1

What is an organic compound?

Answer 1

Compound that contains carbon and is made by living things. All organic compounds are covalently bonded.

Question 2

What are inorganic compounds?

Answer 2

Compounds that lack carbon. Examples: water, salt, many acids and bases

Carbon dioxide and Carbon monoxide are inorganic even though they contain carbon

Question 3

What are the five carbon monosaccharides that are important in the body?

Answer 3

Glucose, fructose, galactose, ribose, deoxyribose

Question 4

What are three carbon disaccharides that are important in the human body?

Answer 4

Sucrose (table sugar), lactose (milk sugar), maltose (malt sugar)

Question 5

What are the three important carbon polysaccharides in the human body?

Answer 5

Starches, glycogen, cellulose (fiber)

Question 6

What are the four organic compounds that are important in the human body?

Answer 6

Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids

Question 7

What is the function of carbohydrates?

Answer 7

• Ready, easy source of celluular fuel
• Can be signaling molecules on membranes

Question 8

What is the function of lipids?

Answer 8

• Energy storage
• Cell structure
• Hormone production
• Nutrient absorption

Question 9

What properties of water make it the most important inorganic compound?

Answer 9

1. High heat capacity: Ability to absorb/release heat with little temperature change, prevents sudden changes in temp
2. High heat of vaporization: Useful cooling mechanism
3. Polar solvent properties: Dissolves/dissociated ionic substances
4. Reactivity: Hydrolysis and dehydration synthesis
5. Cushioning: Protects organs from trauma

Question 10

What are the main types of lipids?

Answer 10

Triglycerides, phospholipids, steroids,

Question 11

What are saturated fatty acids?

Answer 11

Type of fatty acid in which all carbons are linked via single covalent bonds - result is molecule with max number of H atoms it can hold (saturated with H)

Solid at room temp

Question 12

What are unsaturated fatty acids?

Answer 12

Type of fatty acid in which one or more carbons are linked via double covalent bonds, resulting in reduced H atoms (unsaturated with H)

Liquid at room temp

Question 13

Electrolyte

Answer 13

A substance that conducts an electrical current in solution.

All ions are electrolytes

Question 14

Acid

Answer 14

A substance that release Hydrogen (H+) ions in detectable amounts. An acid is a proton donor

Question 15

Base

Answer 15

A substance that takes up Hydrogen ions (H+) in detectable amounts. A base is proton acceptor.

A base releases OH- (hydroxyl ions) when dissolved in water.

Question 16

The more hydrogen ions in a solution, the more _____ the solution is.

Answer 16

Acidic

Question 17

The greater the concentration of hydroxyl ions (the lower the concentration of H+), the more ____ the solution becomes

Answer 17

Basic or alkaline

Question 18

Neutralization reaction

Answer 18

Displacement reaction in which mixing an acid and a base forms water and a salt.

Question 19

Polymer

Answer 19

A substance of high molecular weight with long, chainlike molecules consisting of many similar (repeated) units.

Question 20

Monomer

Answer 20

Single molecule that can be chemically bound to either identical or different molecules to create larger forms called polymers.

Question 21

Dehydration synthesis

Answer 21

Process by which a large molecule is synthesized by removing water and covalently bonding smaller molecules together.

Question 22

Hydrolosis

Answer 22

Process in which water is used to split a substance into smaller parts.

Question 23

Carbohydrates

Answer 23

Organic compound composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen; includes starches, sugars, cellulose.

Question 24

Monosaccharides

Answer 24

Simple sugars; one sugar; building block of carbohydrates

Question 25

Disaccharides

Answer 25

Double sugar; formed when two monosaccharides are formed by dehydration synthesis

Question 26

Polysaccharides

Answer 26

Polymers of simple sugars linked together by dehydration synthesis

Question 27

What is the animal form of stored carbohydrate called?

Answer 27

Glycogen

Question 28

Lipids

Answer 28

Hydrophobic organic compound formed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen; examples are fats and cholesterol.

Question 29

Triglycerides

Answer 29

Fats and oils composed of fatty acids and glycerol; are the body’s most concentrated source of energy fuel.

Question 30

Phospholipids

Answer 30

Modified lipid, contains phosphorus. Have two, rather than three, fatty acid chains. They are the chief building material for cellular membranes

Question 31

Steroids

Answer 31

A class of lipids derived from (and including) cholesterol; act as hormones and as constituents of phospholipid bilayer membranes.

Question 32

Protein

Answer 32

An organic compound that consists of one or more chains of amino acids; types include enzymes, structural components; 10 - 30% of cell mass.

Question 33

What are the building blocks of proteins?

Answer 33

Amino acids. Proteins are long chains of amino acids joined together by dehydration synthesis

Question 34

Primary structure of protein

Answer 34

Sequence of amino acids forming polypetide chain

Question 35

Secondary structure of protein

Answer 35

alpha-helices and beta-pleated sheets, formed by primary chain

Question 36

Tertiary structure of protein

Answer 36

alpha-helices and beta-pleated sheets are folded up to form a compact globular molecule held together by intramolecular bonds

Question 37

Quaternary structure of protein

Answer 37

When two or more polypeptide chains aggregate in a regular manner to form a complex protein

Question 38

Fibrous proteins

Answer 38

Strcutural proteins. Insoluble in water, very stable. Ideal for providing mechanical support and tensile strength to the body’s tissues

Question 39

Globular proteins

Answer 39

Functional proteins. Water-soluble, chemically active molecules, and they play crucial roles in virtually all biological processes

Question 40

Denatured protein

Answer 40

A protein that has lost its specific three-dimensional structure. Can occur when pH drops or temp rises

Question 41

Substrate

Answer 41

A reactant on which an enzyme acts to cause a chemical action to proceed.

Question 42

Nucleic acid

Answer 42

Class of organic molecules that includes DNA and RNA. Composed of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and phosphorus, are the largest molecules in the body

Question 43

What is the role of DNA?

Answer 43

1. Replicates itself before cell division, ensuring genetic info in descendant cells is identical 2. Provides basic instructions for building every protein in the body

Question 44

What is the role of RNA?

Answer 44

Carries out genetic instructions for protein synthesis

Question 45

Nucleotides

Answer 45

Building block of nucleic acids; consists of a sugar, a nitrogen-containing base, and a phosphate group.