Macromolecules Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key macromolecule concepts from the lecture notes (monomers, polymers, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids).

Macromolecule

Large biological molecule composed of smaller subunits bound together to form polymers.

Monomer

Small subunit that links together to form larger polymers in macromolecules.

Polymer

Large molecule made by connecting many monomers.

Carbohydrates

Macromolecule group that serves as a main fuel source and structural component in plants; monomers are monosaccharides.

Monosaccharides

Simple sugars that are the monomers of carbohydrates (e.g., glucose, fructose, ribose).

Polysaccharides

Polymers of monosaccharides; energy storage (starch in plants, glycogen in animals) and structural (cellulose in plants, chitin in insects).

Lipids

Hydrophobic macromolecules with diverse roles, including fats, phospholipids, and steroids.

Triglycerides

Fats formed from glycerol and three fatty acids; a major lipid used for energy storage.

Saturated fats

Fats with no double bonds between carbon atoms; typically solid at room temperature.

Unsaturated fats

Fats with one or more double bonds causing kinks; typically liquid at room temperature.

Phospholipids

Lipids that form cellular membranes due to a hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tails.

Steroids

Lipids derived from cholesterol; include all sex hormones.

Proteins

Molecules involved in nearly all cellular functions; polymers of amino acids; function determined by folding.

Amino acids

Twenty different monomers that build proteins.

Polypeptides

Polymers of amino acids; sequences fold to form proteins.

Protein folding

Process by which a polypeptide chain folds into a specific 3D structure that determines function.

Nucleic acids

Molecules that store, transmit, and express genetic information.

Nucleotides

Monomers of nucleic acids; examples include adenine, guanine, and thiamine.

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid; polymer of nucleotides that stores genetic information.

RNA

Ribonucleic acid; polymer of nucleotides involved in transmitting and expressing genetic information.