chemistry of life

why are lipids hydrophobic?

contain a hydrocarbon tail of CH2S which is nonpolar.

difference between saturated and unsaturated

saturated - no double bonds

unsaturated- double bonds (less hydrogen molecules per carbon)

what are steroids?

lipids made of four carbon rings.

difference between catabolic and anabolic

catabolic - breaking down through hydrolysis (add water)

anabolic - building through dehydration synthesis (remove water)

describe the properties of water.

cohesion

adhesion

evaporative cooling

universal solvent

surface tension

why is water a polar molecule?

positive hydrogens at one end and negative oxygen at another

why are hydrogen bonds weaker than other bonds?

intermolecular bond which means its between molecules, which are generally weaker.

what element must be included in an organic compound?

carbon and sometimes hydrogen

describe functional groups

amino - nitrogen based, NH2 or NH3 - amines

carbonyl - hydrophilic and polar - two structures ( C=O )

carboxyl - similar to carbonyl plus hydroxide, acidic

hydroxyl - alcohols, hydrophilic and polar

phosphates - energy sources (atp, adp, gtp) - acidic

sulfhydryl - amino acids (methionine, cytosine)

what are phospholipids?

lipids with glycerol molecule and two fatty acids and phosphate group.

what is unique about phospholipids?

amphipathetic - hydrophobic tail inside and hydrophilic head outside

what are the elements involved in carbs?

Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxgyen. 1:2:1

why is cellulose harder to break down?

cellulose is harder to break down since you can hydrolyze the bonds - no enzymes to break the bonds

state three types of carbs

monosaccharides, disaccharides, polysaccharides

what is sucrose?

disaccharide in plants for energy - fructose and glucose

what is lactose?

disaccharide found in dairy - galactose and glucose

what enzyme breaks lactose down?

lactase

what is the difference glycogen and starch

starch is glucose molecules linked together and is a storage for, for plants

glycogen is found in liver and cells from glucose molecules linked together

both are for energy storage

what are two important polysaccharides?

cellulose and chitin

what are the functions of a protein?

serve as structural components, transport aids, enzymes and cell signals.

what does an amino acid consist of?

carbon center surrounded by an amino and carboxyl group, hydrogen and an R group

describe the structure of proteins

primary

secondary

tertiary

quaternary

what is the process of protein synthesis?

which part of a lipid is this?

glycerol

which part of a lipid is this?

fatty acid

what type of steroid is this?

cholesterol

which steroid is this?

testosterone

what is this structure

phospholipid

what is this structure

glucose

what is this structure

amino acid

what process is this?

dehydration synthesis

what process is this?

hydrolysis

what structure is this?

triglyceride

What is the role of DNA and what is it made of?

genetic information- made of four nitrogenous bases (atcg)

A=T - two h bonds

C=G three h bonds

what is adenine and guanine?

purine with a double ring structure.

what is thymine and cytosine?

pyrimidine - single ring structure.

what is the structure of DNA?

double helix.

what is DNA composed of?

two strands of nucleotides held together by hydrogen bonds. consists of sugar phosphate backbone that keeps nucleotides connected.

How is DNA arranged?

5’ end and 3’ end with the other strand in the opposite direction

What is RNA and what is it made of?

ribonucleic acid - sugar phosphate backbone

and is single stranded (aucg)

three types of RNA and their roles

mRNA ( messenger)

tRNA (transfer)

rRNA (ribosomal)

what are factors that affect the effectiveness of an enzyme?

temperature- PMOM

pH - optimal pH

substrate concentration - more subsrate = more collisions.

what is the difference between endergonic and exergonic reactions?

endo - requires input of energy

exer - gives off energy

what is an enzyme?

catalytic protein that helps break down reactions by lowering activation energy.