The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers key concepts from Chapter 5, including macromolecules, the four classes of biological molecules, and their structural and functional components.

Polymer

A long molecule consisting of many similar building blocks called monomers.

Monomer

The repeating units that serve as the building blocks of a polymer.

Dehydration reaction

A chemical reaction that occurs when two monomers bond together through the loss of a water molecule.

Hydrolysis

The process of disassembling polymers into monomers by adding a water molecule, which is essentially the reverse of the dehydration reaction.

Monosaccharide

The simplest carbohydrate or simple sugar, such as Glucose ($C_6H_{12}O_6$), which serves as major fuel for cells and raw material for building molecules.

Glycosidic linkage

A covalent bond formed between two monosaccharides by a dehydration reaction.

Chitin

A structural polysaccharide found in the exoskeleton of arthropods and providing structural support for the cell walls of many fungi.

Ester linkage

In a fat, the bond that joins three fatty acids to a glycerol molecule, creating a triacylglycerol or triglyceride.

Phospholipid

A lipid with two fatty acids and a phosphate group attached to glycerol, featuring hydrophobic tails and a hydrophilic head that forms bilayers in water.

Enzymes

Specialized macromolecules, usually proteins, that act as catalysts to speed up chemical reactions without being consumed.

Peptide bond

The covalent bond that links amino acids together to form a polypeptide.

Primary structure

The unique sequence of amino acids in a protein, determined by inherited genetic information.

Denaturation

The loss of a protein's native structure, caused by alterations in pH, salt concentration, or temperature, rendering the protein biologically inactive.

Nucleotide

The monomer of a nucleic acid, consisting of a nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar, and one or more phosphate groups.

Genomics

The biological approach of analyzing large sets of genes or comparing whole genomes of different species.