Biological Molecules Flashcards
(13 cards)
What are the three ways bonding of atoms can occur?
Covalent bonding, ionic bonding, and hydrogen bonding
What is covalent bonding?
Atoms sharing electrons in their outer shells. The outer shells are both filled and become a more stable molecule
What is ionic bonding?
Ions with opposite charges that attract each other and form a weaker bond than covalent bonds (ions are formed by losing or gaining electrons, which is when they become either positively or negatively charged (respectively))
Define a monomer
A monomer is a more simple molecule that can join with identical molecules to create a long chain of monomers: a polymer
Define a polymer and polymerisation
A polymer is a complex, large chain of identical molecules called monomers, which can also be called a macromolecule. Polymerisation is the process where monomers join together to form a polymer
Name two polymers that industrially made
Polythene and polyester
Name three polymers that are naturally made by living organisms and the monomers that they are made from
Polysaccharides, are made from a chain of monosaccharides, like glucose, polypeptides are made from peptides that have amino acids as their basic sub-unit, and polynucleotides are made from mononucleotide molecules
What happens during a condensation reaction?
Two monomers chemically join together, releasing a molecule of water
How can polymers be broken down?
By adding water in a hydrolysis reaction (which breaks the monomers into its constituent parts)
Define metabolism
All chemical reactions that take place in living organisms
How much is one mole?
The same number of particles as there are in 12g of carbon-12 atoms, which contain 6.022 x 10^23 carbon atoms, so 6.022 x 10^23 specific atoms
What is a molar solution?
A solution with one mole of solute in each litre of solution
Why are isotopes useful in biology?
They can be used for tracing the route of certain elements in biological processes and for dating fossils
