Molecules of Life Lecture: Structure and Function

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the structure and function of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids based on the lecture transcript.

Organic compounds

A large class of Carbon-containing chemical compounds in which one or more atoms of carbon are covalently linked to atoms of other elements, most commonly H, N, or O.

Monomer

Subunits that serve as building blocks of biomacromolecules, connected by dehydration synthesis and broken down by hydrolysis.

Dehydration Synthesis

A chemical reaction, also known as condensation, where bonds are formed through the removal of water ($-OH$ from one molecule and $-H$ from another).

Hydrolysis

A chemical reaction in which water reacts with a compound to produce other compounds, involving the splitting of a bond and the addition of a hydrogen cation and a hydroxide anion.

Glycosidic Linkage

The specific covalent bond formed between two carbohydrate monomers.

Carbohydrates

Molecules consisting of C, H, and O, often following the characteristic formula $C_n H_{2n} O_n$ in a 1:2:1 ratio.

Sucrose

A disaccharide commonly known as table sugar, formed by the combination of glucose and fructose.

Empty calories

Calories derived from food that supplies energy but is not nutritionally balanced, containing no nutrients other than carbohydrates.

Amylose

Commonly known as starch, it is the storage carbohydrate used by many plants like rice, potatoes, and corn.

Cellulose

A structural carbohydrate and indigestible fiber made of glucose monomers that forms plant cell walls.

Glycogen

A long chain of glucose molecules used as a storage carbohydrate in animals, primarily kept in the liver and muscles.

Chitin

A structural polysaccharide made of beta-glucose molecules with a nitrogen-containing functional group, used in fungal cell walls and arthropod exoskeletons.

Lipids

A diverse group of hydrophobic, water-insoluble molecules including oils, fats, waxes, phospholipids, and steroids.

Triglycerides

Neutral fats formed by ester bonds between one glycerol molecule and three fatty acid chains.

Saturated Fats

Fats saturated with $H^+$ that tend to be solid at room temperature ($37^{\circ}C$), most commonly found in animal products like butter.

Hydrogenation

A chemical process where hydrogen is added to liquid oils to turn them into a solid form, potentially creating trans fats.

Steroids

Organic compounds characterized by a four-carbon ring skeleton with varying functional groups, such as cholesterol and testosterone.

Peptide bond

The covalent bond formed between the carboxyl group of one amino acid and the amino group of another through dehydration synthesis.

Primary structure

The first level of protein structure, consisting of the linear sequence of amino acids.

Prion

An infectious protein particle lacking nucleic acid that causes diseases like Bovine Spongiform Encephalitis (Mad Cow Disease) and Creutzfeldt Jacob Disease (CJD).

Nucleotide

The monomer of nucleic acids, consisting of a five-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

ATP

The molecule involved in energy metabolism that releases energy through the reaction $ATP \rightarrow ADP + Pi + \text{Energy}$.

RNA (Ribonucleic Acid)

A typically single-stranded nucleic acid where the sugar is ribose and the pyrimidine base uracil replaces thymine.