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What is a macromolecule?
Large molecules composed of thousands of covalently connected atoms
What is a monomer?
The basic building block of a macromolecule, typically small and can join together to form polymers.
What is polymer?
A large molecule made up of repeating structural units called monomers, linked by covalent bonds.
How do monomers form larger molecules?
Through condensation reactions called dehydration reactions ( they release free water molecules)
How are polymers diassembled?
Hydrolysis; a reaction that is essentially the reverse of the dehydration reaction
What is the macromolecule of carbohydrates?
Polysaccharides, polymers composed of many building blocks.
What do monosaccharides do?
Serve as major fuel for cells and as a raw material for building molecules
How is a disaccharide formed?
When a dehydration reaction joins two monosaccharides; the bond is called a Glycosidic Linkage
What does Starch do?
Polysaccharide that serves as a storage form of energy in plants.
What is Glycogen?
Storage polysaccharide in animals; Humans and other vertebrates store glycogen mainly in muscle cells
What is cellulose and what is it’s function?
A polysaccharide that provides structural support in plant cell walls.
What is a polysaccharide?
Polymer of sugars, have structural and storage roles
What is chitin?
Structural polysaccharide, found in the exoskeleton of arthropods
What is a lipid?
Hydrophobic molecules; One class of LBM’s that does not form a polymer; fats phospholipids, and steroids
What is fats composed off?
Glycerol and fatty acids
What is glycerol?
Three-carbon alcohol with hydroxyl group attached to each carbon
What are fatty acids?
Consists of carboxyl group attached to a long carbon skeleton?
Why are fats hydrophobic?
Water molecules form bonds with each other and exclude the fats
Saturated Fatty Acids
Maximum number of hydrogen atoms with no double bonds
Unsaturated Fatty Acids
At least one double bonds
What is a phospholipid?
Two fatty acids and a phosphate group attached to glycerol
What is a micelle?
Spherical shaped arrangement of phospholipids (ex. bilayer)
Steroids
Lipids characterized by carbon skeleton consisting of four rings
Proteins
50% of dry mass; “business” of the cell - responsible for carrying out almost all biochemical reactions
Structural Protein
Support (silk fiber/spiderwebs)
Storage proteins
Storage of amino acids (ovalbumin/egg white)
Enzyme
Protein that acts as a catalyst
Polypeptide
polymer of amino acids
Amino Acids
Building blocks of proteins (cells use 20 aa to make thousands of proteins)
Nonpolar amino acids
Amino acids with hydrophobic side chains.
Polar amino acids
Amino acids with hydrophilic side chains.
Electrically charged amino acids
Amino acids with side chains that carry a positive or negative charge.
Four levels of Protein Structure
Primary; Secondary; Tertiary; Quaternary
Primary Structure
Sequence of amino acids in a protein; determined by inherited genetic info
Secondary Structure
Coils and folds resulting from H-bonds between polypeptide backbone
Tertiary Structure
Determined by R-group interactions (H-Bonds, ionic bonds, hydrophobic interactions)
Quaternary Structure
Results when two or more polypeptide chains form one macromolecule
Chaperonins
Protein molecules that assist proper folding
What are genes made of
DNA
Nitrogenous bases
Pyrimidines and Purines
Pyrimidines
SIngle Six membered ring
Purines
Six membered ring fused to a five membered ring
