Untitled Flashcards Set

What are the four major groups of chemical compounds in living organisms?

Lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids.

What basic unit makes up most proteins, and how many different types exist?

Amino acids; there are 20 different amino acids.

What is a prosthetic group in a protein?

A non-protein part of a protein that is necessary for its function, e.g., hemoglobin.

Why can proteins have such varied properties?

They consist of different combinations of amino acids that can fold in various ways to create different structures.

Why can't a chicken come from a boiled fertilized egg?

The protein in the cell denatures, losing its function and structure.

Name three important disaccharides and the monosaccharides they are made of.

Maltose (2 glucose), sucrose (glucose and fructose), lactose (glucose and galactose).

How are starch, glycogen, and cellulose structured and what are their functions in living organisms?

Cellulose is composed of straight, unbranched glucose chains for structural support in cell walls, starch is branched for energy storage in plants, and glycogen is highly branched for glucose storage in animals.

How are lipids technically defined based on their solubility?

Lipids are poorly soluble in water as they mainly consist of hydrocarbons.

What are four types of lipids and their functions in living cells?

Fats (energy storage), phospholipids (cell membrane structure), waxes (waterproofing), steroids (hormone production).

Describe the structure of fats, phospholipids, and steroids.

Fats are made of a glycerol molecule and three fatty acids, phospholipids have two fatty acids and a phosphate group bound to glycerol, steroids are characterized by a four-ring carbon structure.

Which smaller molecules are found in both RNA and ATP?

Adenine, ribose, and phosphate groups.

What is a condensation reaction?

A chemical reaction where two molecules combine to form a larger molecule with the release of a small molecule, often water.

Which functional groups are present in the open structure of glucose?

Multiple hydroxyl groups and one aldehyde group.

Summarize the overall equations for photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

Photosynthesis produces glucose and oxygen from carbon dioxide and water; cellular respiration consumes glucose and oxygen to release energy, producing carbon dioxide and water.

Why is starch a better storage form than glucose?

Starch is less soluble in water than monosaccharides or disaccharides.

What role does cellulose play in plant cells?

It serves as a structural component in plant cell walls.

What is the function of glycogen in the human body?

Glycogen acts as a readily available glucose reserve for energy.

Where does chitin occur in nature?

Chitin is found in the exoskeletons of insects and crustaceans.

What monosaccharides are produced when a) sucrose, b) maltose, and c) lactose are hydrolyzed?

a) Sucrose → Glucose + Fructose; b) Maltose → Glucose + Glucose; c) Lactose → Glucose + Galactose.

What are the various functions of fats in living organisms?

Fats store energy, insulate against cold, protect vital organs, aid buoyancy in aquatic organisms, and serve as solvents for vitamins.

Describe the structural difference between a fat molecule and a phospholipid.

A fat contains three fatty acids attached to glycerol, while a phospholipid has two fatty acids and a phosphate group attached to glycerol.

Describe the arrangement of phospholipid molecules in a cell membrane.

Phospholipids form a bilayer with hydrophilic heads facing outward towards the fluid and hydrophobic tails facing inward.

What types of steroids are present in the human body?

Cholesterol and bile acids.

What is the reaction formula for how two amino acids form a dipeptide?

A peptide bond is formed through a condensation reaction, releasing water.

How many types of amino acids are found in proteins?

20 types of amino acids.

Give examples of globular proteins.

Enzymes, transport proteins, antibodies, and hormones.

How does the hydrophobic effect influence the shape of globular proteins?

Hydrophobic amino acid chains are buried in the protein's interior, while hydrophilic ones are exposed to the aqueous environment, affecting folding.

Explain the four structural levels of a globular protein.

1. Primary structure - sequence of amino acids; 2. Secondary structure - alpha helices or beta sheets; 3. Tertiary structure - overall folding; 4. Quaternary structure - assembly of multiple polypeptide chains.

What is the prosthetic group in hemoglobin?

Hem, which contains an iron ion that binds oxygen for transport.

What does it mean for an enzyme to lower the activation energy of a reaction?

It speeds up the reaction by reducing the energy required for it to proceed.

What pentoses are found in the nucleotides of DNA and RNA?

DNA contains deoxyribose, while RNA contains ribose.

How does ATP provide energy?

ATP releases energy when it donates its outer phosphate group, forming ADP and an inorganic phosphate.

Which reaction is a condensation reaction?

Reaction A is correct and explained by the characteristics of condensation reactions.