Biomolecules and Elements

Vocabulary flashcards reviewing major biomolecules, elements, and functional subtypes based on the lecture notes.

Major Biomolecules

The four main classes of biological molecules: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

Seven Major Elements

The key elements found in living systems: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and calcium.

Carbohydrates

Biomolecules whose main role is to provide energy for the body, supplying $4\text{ kilocalories (kcal)}$ per gram.

Monosaccharide

A carbohydrate made of one sugar unit, such as glucose and fructose.

Disaccharide

A carbohydrate made of two monosaccharides, such as maltose and sucrose.

Polysaccharide

A carbohydrate made of three or more monosaccharides.

Starch

A carbohydrate used for energy storage in plants, commonly found in potatoes, pasta, and rice.

Glycogen

The storage carbohydrate in animals, stored mainly in the liver and muscles.

Cellulose

A polysaccharide that provides structural support in plants and serves as dietary fiber.

Lipids

Biomolecules made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (C-H-O) that store energy ($9\text{ kilocalories (kcal)}$ per gram), insulate the body, protect organs, form cell membranes, aid vitamin absorption, and produce hormones.

Phospholipid

A type of lipid containing phosphorus that serves as a major component of cell membranes.

Hydrophilic Head

The part of a phospholipid that is attracted to water.

Hydrophobic Tail

The part of a phospholipid that repels water.

Saturated Lipid

A lipid whose carbon bonds are all single bonds; generally solid at room temperature.

Unsaturated Lipid

A lipid with at least one double or triple bond between carbons; generally liquid at room temperature.

Proteins

Biomolecules composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen (C-H-O-N) that build and repair body structures and provide $4\text{ kilocalories (kcal)}$ per gram.

Amino Acids

The monomer or building block of proteins.

Structural Protein

A protein that provides structure, such as those found in hair and tendons.

Contractile Protein

A protein involved in structural movement.

Storage Protein

A protein used for storage, such as ovalbumin in egg white.

Defensive Proteins

Proteins such as antibodies that protect the body from foreign bodies.

Transport Protein

A protein that transports substances, such as hemoglobin transporting oxygen in the blood.

Signal Protein

A protein such as a hormone that helps coordinate body activities.

Enzyme

A protein that acts as a chemical catalyst and changes the rate of a chemical reaction.

Nucleic Acids

Biomolecules containing carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus (C-H-O-N-P) that provide genetic information and instructions for making proteins.

Nucleotides

The monomers of nucleic acids, consisting of a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogen base.

Nitrogen Bases

The nitrogen-containing bases found in nucleic acids, abbreviated as A, T, G, C, or U.

DNA and RNA

Examples of nucleic acid polymers that store genetic information and direct protein synthesis.

ATP

An example of a nucleic acid polymer that functions as an energy carrier in cells.