1) BIOLOGICAL MOLECULES

What are biological molecules and what do they share that supports evolution?

Biological molecules are the complex molecules that make up living organisms; all living things share a similar biochemical basis, suggesting they descended from common ancestors.

What is a monomer and what is a polymer?

A monomer is a small, single molecular unit that can join with other monomers to form larger structures. Monomers undergo condensation reactions to form polymers. A polymer is a large, complex molecule made of repeating monomer units. Examples of polymers include carbohydrates like starch and cellulose, proteins like polypeptides, and nucleic acids like DNA and RNA. Polymers have diverse functions in biology, such as energy storage, structural support, and information storage.

Define polymer.

A polymer is a large, complex molecule made up of repeating monomers joined together (e.g., starch, glycogen, cellulose, polypeptides, DNA, RNA).

What is the process of joining two monomers together called?

The process is called a condensation reaction.

What does hydrolysis reaction do?

A hydrolysis reaction separates two monomers by breaking a chemical bond and requires the addition of a water molecule.

What is the primary function of carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates provide energy, storage, and structural strength.

What are monosaccharides?

Monosaccharides are the simplest sugars from which larger carbohydrates are made; examples include glucose, fructose, and galactose.

How are disaccharides formed?

Disaccharides are formed when two monosaccharides join together by a condensation reaction, creating a glycosidic bond.

What are the two types of glycosidic bonds found in starch?

Starch contains C1-4 and C1-6 glycosidic bonds.

What is the function of glycogen?

Glycogen serves as the main storage of energy in animals.

How does cellulose provide structural strength to plants?

Cellulose provides structural strength through many hydrogen bonds between parallel chains of microfibrils, allowing cell walls to withstand turgor pressure.

What is the significance of iodine in testing for starch?

A positive result for starch occurs when iodine solution changes from orange to blue/black.

What is a triglyceride and its function?

A triglyceride is a lipid made of one glycerol molecule attached to three fatty acids; its main function is energy storage.

What is the structure of phospholipids?

Phospholipids consist of one glycerol, one phosphate group, and two fatty acid tails; they are amphipathic with hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions.

What role do amino acids play in proteins?

Amino acids are the monomers that make proteins; they join together to form polypeptides through peptide bonds.

What is the primary structure of a protein?

The primary structure is the specific sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain, determined by DNA.

What defines the tertiary structure of a protein?

The tertiary structure is the overall three-dimensional shape formed by the folding of polypeptide chains, stabilized by interactions between R groups.

Explain how temperature affects enzyme activity.

As temperature increases, the rate of reactions increases up to an optimum before denaturing; too high temperatures break hydrogen bonds in the enzyme's structure, changing its active site.

What are competitive inhibitors?

Competitive inhibitors are molecules that compete with substrates for the active site of an enzyme, reducing the number of enzyme-substrate complexes formed.

What is semi-conservative replication of DNA?

Semi-conservative replication is when each new DNA molecule contains one original strand and one newly synthesized strand.

What is the role of DNA helicase in DNA replication?

DNA helicase unzips the DNA double helix by breaking hydrogen bonds between base pairs.

What is ATP and its role in cells?

ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is a nucleotide that stores and releases energy for cellular processes.

How does water function as an important metabolite?

Water participates in metabolic reactions through hydrolysis and condensation reactions.

Define inorganic ions and their significance.

Inorganic ions do not contain carbon and perform various functions in biological processes; their roles depend on their chemical properties.