Organic Compounds and Biomolecules

These flashcards cover key concepts related to organic compounds, macromolecules, and biomolecules essential for understanding cellular structure and function.

Carbon

An element with 4 valence electrons that can form 4 strong covalent bonds.

Macromolecules

Large molecules made from several smaller molecules, often referred to as 'giant molecules'.

Polymerization

The process by which macromolecules are formed from monomers.

Monosaccharide

Single sugar molecules such as glucose, galactose, and fructose.

Disaccharide

Two monosaccharides linked together, e.g., lactose, maltose, sucrose.

Polysaccharide

Many monosaccharides linked together, examples include glycogen and cellulose.

Lipids

Compounds made mostly of carbon and hydrogen that are insoluble in water and used to store energy.

Saturated Lipids

Lipids with only single bonds between carbon, solid at room temperature.

Unsaturated Lipids

Lipids with at least one double bond between carbon, liquid at room temperature.

Nucleic Acids

Macromolecules that store and transmit genetic information; two types are DNA and RNA.

Amino Acids

The building blocks of proteins composed of an amino group and a carboxyl group.

Enzymes

Proteins that speed up reactions by lowering activation energy and are specific to substrates.

Phosphate Group

Part of a nucleotide, consisting of a phosphorus atom bonded to four oxygen atoms.

Five Carbon Sugar

A sugar molecule that is part of nucleotides, such as ribose in RNA and deoxyribose in DNA.

Protein Structure Levels

Four levels of organization in proteins: primary (amino acid sequence), secondary (twisting), tertiary (folding), and quaternary (arrangement in space).

Cellulose

A polysaccharide that provides structural support in plant cell walls.