Biological Macromolecules

Question 1

type of secondary protein structure formed by folding the polypeptide into a helix shape with hydrogen bonds stabilizing the structure

Answer 1

alpha-helix structure (α-helix)

Question 2

a protein’s monomer; has a central carbon or alpha carbon to which an amino group, a carboxyl group, a hydrogen, and an R group or side chain is attached; the R group is different for all 20 common amino acids

Answer 2

amino acid

Question 3

secondary structure in proteins in which hydrogen bonding forms “pleats” between atoms on the polypeptide chain’s backbone

Answer 3

beta-pleated sheet (β-pleated)

Question 4

large molecule necessary for life that is built from smaller organic molecules

Answer 4

biological macromolecule

Question 5

biological macromolecule in which the ratio of carbon to hydrogen and to oxygen is 1:2:1; carbohydrates serve as energy sources and structural support in cells and form arthropods’ cellular exoskeleton

Answer 5

carbohydrate

Question 6

polysaccharide that comprises the plants’ cell wall; provides structural support to the cell

Answer 6

cellulose

Question 7

(also, chaperonin) protein that helps nascent protein in the folding process

Answer 7

chaperone

Question 8

type of carbohydrate that forms the outer skeleton of all arthropods that include crustaceans and insects; it also forms fungi cell walls

Answer 8

chitin

Question 9

(also, condensation) reaction that links monomer molecules, releasing a water molecule for each bond formed

Answer 9

dehydration synthesis

Question 10

loss of shape in a protein as a result of changes in temperature, pH, or chemical exposure

Answer 10

denaturation

Question 11

double-helical molecule that carries the cell’s hereditary information

Answer 11

deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

Question 12

two sugar monomers that a glycosidic bond links

Answer 12

disaccharide

Question 13

catalyst in a biochemical reaction that is usually a complex or conjugated protein

Answer 13

enzyme

Question 14

storage carbohydrate in animals

Answer 14

glycogen

Question 15

bond formed by a dehydration reaction between two monosaccharides with eliminating a water molecule

Answer 15

glycosidic bond

Question 16

chemical signaling molecule, usually protein or steroid, secreted by endocrine cells that act to control or regulate specific physiological processes

Answer 16

hormone

Question 17

reaction that causes breakdown of larger molecules into smaller molecules by utilizing water

Answer 17

hydrolysis

Question 18

macromolecule that is nonpolar and insoluble in water

Answer 18

lipid

Question 19

RNA that carries information from DNA to ribosomes during protein synthesis

Answer 19

messenger RNA (mRNA)

Question 20

smallest unit of larger molecules that are polymers

Answer 20

monomer

Question 21

single unit or monomer of carbohydrates

Answer 21

monosaccharide

Question 22

monomer of nucleic acids; contains a pentose sugar, one or more phosphate groups, and a nitrogenous base

Answer 22

nucleotide

Question 23

type of polyunsaturated fat that the body requires; numbering the carbon omega starts from the methyl end or the end that is farthest from the carboxylic end

Answer 23

omega fat

Question 24

bond formed between two amino acids by a dehydration reaction

Answer 24

peptide bond

Question 25

covalent chemical bond that holds together the polynucleotide chains with a phosphate group linking neighboring nucleotides' two pentose sugars

Answer 25

phosphodiester linkage

Question 26

membranes' major constituent; comprised of two fatty acids and a phosphate-containing group attached to a glycerol backbone

Answer 26

phospholipid

Question 27

chain of monomer residues that covalent bonds link; polymerization is the process of polymer formation from monomers by condensation

Answer 27

polymer

Question 28

long chain of nucleotides

Answer 28

polynucleotide

Question 29

long chain of amino acids that peptide bonds link

Answer 29

polypeptide

Question 30

long chain of monosaccharides; may be branched or unbranched

Answer 30

polysaccharide

Question 31

linear sequence of amino acids in a protein

Answer 31

primary structure

Question 32

biological macromolecule comprised of one or more amino acid chains

Answer 32

protein

Question 33

type of nitrogenous base in DNA and RNA; adenine and guanine are purines

Answer 33

purine

Question 34

type of nitrogenous base in DNA and RNA; cytosine, thymine, and uracil are pyrimidines

Answer 34

pyrimidine

Question 35

association of discrete polypeptide subunits in a protein

Answer 35

quaternary structure

Question 36

single-stranded, often internally base paired, molecule that is involved in protein synthesis

Answer 36

ribonucleic acid (RNA)

Question 37

RNA that ensures the proper alignment of the mRNA and the ribosomes during protein synthesis and catalyzes forming the peptide linkage

Answer 37

ribosomal RNA (rRNA)

Question 38

long-chain hydrocarbon with single covalent bonds in the carbon chain; the number of hydrogen atoms attached to the carbon skeleton is maximized

Answer 38

saturated fatty acid

Question 39

regular structure that proteins form by intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the oxygen atom of one amino acid residue and the hydrogen attached to the nitrogen atom of another amino acid residue

Answer 39

secondary structure

Question 40

storage carbohydrate in plants

Answer 40

starch

Question 41

type of lipid comprised of four fused hydrocarbon rings forming a planar structure

Answer 41

steroid

Question 42

a protein's three-dimensional conformation, including interactions between secondary structural elements; formed from interactions between amino acid side chains

Answer 42

tertiary structure

Question 43

fat formed artificially by hydrogenating oils, leading to a different arrangement of double bond(s) than those in naturally occurring lipids

Answer 43

trans fat

Question 44

process through which messenger RNA forms on a template of DNA

Answer 44

transcription

Question 45

RNA that carries activated amino acids to the site of protein synthesis on the ribosome

Answer 45

transfer RNA (tRNA)

Question 46

process through which RNA directs the protein's formation

Answer 46

translation

Question 47

fat molecule; consists of three fatty acids linked to a glycerol molecule

Answer 47

triacylglycerol (also, triglyceride)

Question 48

long-chain hydrocarbon that has one or more double bonds in the hydrocarbon chain

Answer 48

unsaturated fatty acid

Question 49

lipid comprised of a long-chain fatty acid that is esterified to a long-chain alcohol; serves as a protective coating on some feathers, aquatic mammal fur, and leaves

Answer 49

wax