biological molecules Flashcards
(66 cards)
What is cohesion
hydrogen bonding between water molecules
how is surface tension created
cohesion means water moves as 1 mass
provides a habitat for insects
what is adhesion
forces of attraction between water molecules and different substances
what is present in carbohydrates
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen
what’s present in lipids
carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
whats present in proteins
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur
whats present in nucleic acids
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorus
what are the monomers in carbohydrates
sugars (saccharides)
what are the monomers in proteins
amino acids
what are polar molecules
molecules that have regions of negativity and regions of positivity
what are hydrogen bonds, are they strong or weak
when polar molecules interact with each other as positive and negative regions of the molecule attract each other
they’re weak interactions but occur in high numbers
characteristics of water
- usually high boiling point
- small molecule
- liquid at room temperature
why is water a liquid at room temperature
due to the hydrogen bonding between water molecules, it takes a lot of energy to increase the temperature of water and cause it to become gaseous
why does water become less dense when it turns to ice
due to the hydrogen bonds, as water is cooled, the hydrogen bonds fix the positions of the polar molecules slightly further apart than the average distance in the liquid state
this produces a giant, rigid but open structure
what does it mean that water has cohesive properties
it moves as one mass because the molecules are attracted to each other (cohesion)
this means wawter can draw water up their roots
what does it mean that water has adhesive properties
water molecules are attracted to other materials
why is water essential for life
- acts as a medium for chemical reactions
- acts as a very efficient transport medium
what are carbohydrates
molecules that only contain the elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
what is a monosaccharide + examples
a simple sugar unit
e.g. glucose, fructose and ribose
what is a disaccharide + examples
when two monosaccharides link together e.g. lactose, sucrose
what is a polysaccharide + examples
when two or more monosaccharides are linked e.g. glycogen, cellulose and starch
chemical formula for glucose
C6H12O6
difference between alpha glucose and beta glucose
the hydroxyl group (OH) are in opposite positions
in Beta glucose, OH group is aBove the ring
in Alpha glucose, OH group is below the ring
what is amylose
formed by alpha glucose molecule joined together only by 1-4 glycosidic bonds