Macromolecules - cellular building blocks Flashcards
ch 2
What are cells made out of?
macromolecules
List the macromolecules and their subunits
(1) carbohydrates - monosaccharides
(2) proteins - amino acids
(3) nucleic acids - nucleotides
(4) lipids - no common subunit
Glycosidic bond
special linkage found in sugars; high energy bond and has a lot of potential energy stored in it
To make a reaction continue/proceed, do you ______ (add/drop) energy?
Add energy to make the reaction proceed
Examples of disaccharides
Sucrose, lactose, and maltose
Sucrose
Sucrose = fructose + glucose
plants: energy storage
animals: animals don’t make sucrose; energy source
Lactose
Lactose = galactose + glucose
plants don’t make lactose
Maltose
Maltose = glucose + glucose
Oligosaccharides
10 or so monosaccharides
plants: cellulose + starch
animals: glycogen
Polysaccharides
50 or more monosaccharides
plants: cellulose used in the cell wall
starch: plants store energy in starch
Lipid
heterogeneous group of molecules
Structure of a fatty acid
hydrophobic fatty tale & hydrophilic carboxyl group
Properties of saturated fatty acids
solid at room temperature; animal fat tends to be enriched in saturated fat
Properties of unsaturated fatty acids
liquid at room temperature; plant fats are enriched in unsaturated fat
Monounsaturated
if theres just one C=C
Polyunsaturated
if there are 2 or more C=C
Saturated
No C=C
Triglyceride
animal cells use triglyceride as an energy source; 3 fatty acid chains
Phospholipids
only two fatty acid chains & also has a phosphate cap; hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tale; cell makes a membrane out of these
Where does one find membranes?
- cell/plasma membrane
- there are organelles in eukaryotic cells that are surrounded by phospholipid bilayers
What kind of fats do we find in hormones?
Cholesterol etc
Cholesterol
a lipid made by animals in the livers & then are transported around and cells grab it; used natively or make other chemicals (hormones) from it
Hormones that are made from cholesterol
(1) testosterone - made in testis
(2) progesterone - made in the uterus
(3) cortisone - made in adrenal gland
(4) aldosterone - made in adrenal gland
(5) estradiol - made in ovaries
What is a nucleotide made up of?
phosphate group, sugar, and base