Unit 1: Biological Molecules

Question 1

What is metabolism?

Answer 1

The total sum of all if the chemical reactions going on in an organism.

Question 2

What does catabolic and anabolic mean?

Answer 2

Catabolic = larger broken down into smaller.
Anabolic = smaller built up to larger.

Question 3

What is the use of carbohydrates?

Answer 3

Energy store and energy supply, part of structure.

Question 4

Use of proteins?

Answer 4

Structure, support, enzymes, antibodies, hormones.

Question 5

Use of vitamins / minerals?

Answer 5

Part of larger molecules, involved in metabolic pathways.

Question 6

Use of nucleic acid?

Answer 6

Carry info, coding for genes.

Question 7

Use of water?

Answer 7

Support (plants), solvent for reactions.

Question 8

Use of lipids?

Answer 8

Membranes, energy store, insulation, protection, electrical insulation, hormones.

Question 9

What is the definition of organic chemistry?

Answer 9

Chemistry that involves carbon.

Question 10

What is the meaning of covalent bonding?

Answer 10

Electrons are shared between atoms.

Question 11

What is the meaning of double bonding?

Answer 11

2 electrons are shared between atoms.

Question 12

What is a monomer?

Answer 12

A single molecule.

Question 13

What is a polymer?

Answer 13

Multiple monomers chemically bonded in a chain.

Question 14

What are the monomers and polymers for carbohydrates?

Answer 14

Monosaccharides and Polysaccharides.

Question 15

What are the monomers and polymers of proteins?

Answer 15

Amino acids and Polypeptides.

Question 16

What are the monomers and polymers for nucleic acid?

Answer 16

Nucleotides and DNA / RNA

Question 17

What is polymerisation?

Answer 17

The bonding of monomers to create a polymer.

Question 18

What is condensation?

Answer 18

A new covalent bond or larger molecules are formed - a water molecule is produced or released.

Question 19

What is hydrolysis?

Answer 19

When a covalent bond is broken, smaller molecules are formed from a larger one.

Question 20

What is hydrogen bonding?

Answer 20

When a slightly negatively charged part of a molecule comes into contact with a slightly positively charged part of another molecule. This is a weak attraction.

Question 21

What are carbohydrates made of

Answer 21

Monosaccharides, containing C, H, and O.

Question 22

What are the different forms of glucose and how can you tell them apart

Answer 22

• alpha glucose has OH facing down
• beta glucose has OH facing up to

Question 23

What are disaccharides

Answer 23

• two monosaccharides joined together by condensation reactions

Question 24

What are polysaccharides

Answer 24

• multiple monosaccharides joined together by condensation

Question 25

Cellulose structure

Answer 25

- long unbranched chains of beta-glucose - hydrogen bonds between glucose create microfibrils - microfibrils create strong fibres

Question 26

Cellulose function

Answer 26

- strength to support cell walls

Question 27

Lipid function & properties

Answer 27

- energy source - protection & waterproofing - thermal & electrical insulators - hormones and vitamins are sometimes lipids - cell membrane

Question 28

Structure of lipids

Answer 28

- made of glycerol and fatty acids - one glycerol and 3 fatty acid chains

Question 29

What are saturated fatty acids

Answer 29

- the hydrogen atoms are closer together, with single bonds between carbon atoms - molecules are less fluid

Question 30

What are unsaturated fatty acids

Answer 30

- have double bonds between carbon atoms

Question 31

What are triglycerides

Answer 31

- large nonpolar molecules which are insoluble, made from lipids

Question 32

What is a phospholipid

Answer 32

- one glycerol bonded to two fatty acids and one phosphate group - phosphate head is hydrophilic and fatty acid tail is hydrophobic

Question 33

Structure of a protein

Answer 33

Primary - arrangement of amino acid sequences Secondary - how the amino acids are formed, hydrogen bonds between Tertiary - folding and coiling of the polypeptide chain Quaternary - special arrangements of subunits of a protein, in respect to eachother

Question 34

What is a solvent, solute and solution

Answer 34

Solvent - a liquid in which chemicals dissolve to make a solution Solute - a chemical that is dissolved in a solvent Solution - solvent + solute

Question 35

Fibrous protein structure

Answer 35

- long strands of polypeptide chains, with cross-linkage due to hydrogen bonds - little or no tertiary structure

Question 36

Globular protein structure

Answer 36

- compact, roughly spherical in shape, soluble in water - metabolic

Question 37

What are inhibitors

Answer 37

- substances that reduce the activity of enzymes - interfere directly or indirectly on the functioning of the active site - can be reversible or irreversible

Question 38

What is a competitive inhibitor

Answer 38

- binds to the active site

Question 39

What is a mon-competitive inhibitor

Answer 39

- binds to the enzyme at a different position, changing the active site shape

Question 40

What is a metabolic pathway

Answer 40

- the total sum of all the chemical reactions occurring in an organism is metabolism, consists of hundreds of reactions that makes the metabolic pathway