Chapter 3 Flashcards
(17 cards)
Biomolecule
A molecule made by living things.
Functional group
A group of atoms in a molecule that determines its chemical behavior.
Monomer
A small building block that joins together to form a bigger molecule.
Polymer
A large molecule made of many smaller units (monomers) linked together.
Metabolism
All the chemical reactions that happen in your body to keep it alive.
Enzyme
A protein that speeds up chemical reactions in the body.
Hydrolysis
Breaking down a molecule by adding water.
Monosaccharide
A simple sugar, like glucose or fructose.
Disaccharide
A sugar made of two monosaccharides, like sucrose (table sugar).
Oligosaccharide
A sugar made of 3-10 monosaccharides, often used for cell signaling.
Polysaccharide
A large sugar molecule made of many monosaccharides, like starch or cellulose.
Triglyceride
A fat made of three fatty acids and one glycerol; used for energy storage.
Phospholipid
A fat that makes up cell membranes; it has both water-loving and water-hating parts.
Polypeptide
A chain of amino acids that folds into a protein.
Peptide bond
The bond that links amino acids together to form proteins.
Denaturation
When a protein loses its shape and can’t do its job anymore.
Prion
A misfolded protein that can cause diseases by making other proteins misfold.
