Biomolecules + Enzymes

Dehydration Synthesis

Removing a water molecule to form a bond between two monomers.

Monomer

A building block or subunit of a polymer that can join together to form larger molecules.

Hydrolysis

Adding a water molecule to break a bond between two monomers

Carbohydrates

Biomolecule made of the monomer monosaccharides, it’s main function is to produce glucose and provide energy.

What elements are Carbohydrates made of?

Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen

Polymer

A large molecule made up of several monomer units.

Lipids

Biomolecules that are hydrophobic or amphiphilic, including fats, oils, and steroids. It’s monomers are fatty acid tails and backbones.

What elements are lipids made of?

Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen

Nucleic Acids

Biomolecules that store and transmit genetic information, including DNA and RNA, composed of nucleotides.

What are nucleotides made of?

A sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

What elements are nucleic acids made of?

Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus.

Protein

Biomolecules composed of long chains of amino acids, essential for various biological functions.

What elements are proteins made of?

Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sometimes sulphur

Molecule

A group of two or more atoms bonded together, representing the smallest fundamental unit of a chemical compound.

Enzymes

Protein that acts as a catalyst to speed up chemical reactions.

Catalyst

A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed in the process.

Substrate

The reactant that the enzyme acts upon.

Activation Site

A restricted region of an enzyme molecule which binds to the substrate.

Which factors affect enzyme activity?

Temperature, pH, cofactors and coenzymes, and inhibitors.

Denature

When an enzyme’s shape changes permanently, such that it can no longer perform it’s function.

Activation Energy

The amount of energy needed for a chemical reactions to occur.