Chpt 1 Biochem & The Language of Chem Flashcards
what are macromolecules?
giant molecules made up of smaller subunits
WHY are macromolecules?
the complexity of life processes requires that the molecules governing them be enormous
what are the 4 major classes of macromolecules?
proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids
what are proteins?
polymers made of amino acids
what are nucleic acids?
polymers that are made of nucleotides
what are lipids?
any of a diverse group of organic compounds that are grouped together because they do not interact appreciably with water.
exp. fats, oils, hormones, and certain components of membranes
what are carbohydrates?
a large group of organic compounds consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen which can be typically broken down into monomers to release energy in living beings
what are monomers?
molecules of any of a class of compounds, mostly organic, that can react with other molecules to form very large molecules called polymers.
what does it mean to polymerize a bunch of monomers?
it means to link them together in a chain
what role does condensation have in polymerization?
condensation involves removing a water molecule from the monomers in order to make them join together to form a chain (via polymerization)
what is a homopolymer?
a polymer made of a bunch of the same monomer
exp. a polysaccharide is completely composed of a bunch of saccharides, so it is a homopolymer
what is a residue?
a single unit that makes up a polymer, such as an amino acid in a polypeptide or protein.
what is a homopolymer?
a polymer made of a bunch of the same monomer
exp. a polysaccharide is completely composed of a bunch of saccharides, so it is a homopolymer
what is a heteropolymer?
a polymer made of a bunch of different kinds of monomers
what are nucleotides?
organic compounds in which nitrogen-containing unit (base) is linked to a sugar and a phosphate group
