Carbohydrates and Lipids Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and definitions related to carbohydrates and lipids from the lecture notes.

Carbohydrates

Biomolecule consisting of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen; the body’s most important source of energy.

Monosaccharides

The simplest type of carbohydrate consisting of a single sugar unit.

Glucose

The most common monosaccharide, produced by plants in photosynthesis.

Isomers

Molecules with the same chemical formula but different arrangements of atoms (e.g., glucose, fructose, galactose).

Hydrophilic

Describes saccharides that are sweet and dissolve in water.

Disaccharides

Carbohydrates made from two monosaccharides joined together by dehydration synthesis.

Glycosidic bonds

The chemical bond that links two monosaccharides together.

Polysaccharides

Complex carbohydrates consisting of many monosaccharides linked by glycosidic linkages, essential for nutrition and energy sources.

Macromolecule

A large molecule, such as a polysaccharide.

Polymerization

The process of small subunits (monomers) linking to form a large molecule (polymer), as seen in the creation of polysaccharides.

Monomer

A small molecule that bonds chemically to other molecules to form a polymer.

Polymer

A large molecule formed when monomers link together chemically to form a chain.

Starches

Polysaccharides composed of thousands of glucose molecules, used by plants for food storage (e.g., amylose) via alpha 1-4 linkage.

Cellulose

Polysaccharide composed of thousands of glucose molecules, used in plant cell walls via beta 1-4 linkage.

Chitin

A polysaccharide similar to cellulose but containing an amine group, used for the exoskeletons of insects.

Lipids

Nonpolar compounds made of Carbon and Hydrogen, with lesser amounts of Oxygen, serving as stored energy sources or forming cell membranes.

Fatty Acids

A single hydrocarbon chain with a carboxyl functional group (-COOH) at the end.

Saturated fatty acids

Fatty acids that contain only single bonds, meaning they are saturated with hydrogen atoms.

Unsaturated fatty acids

Fatty acids that contain one (monounsaturated) or more (polyunsaturated) double bonds, which creates a kink in the molecule.

Fats

Lipids made from glycerol and one to three fatty acid chains joined through dehydration synthesis.

Triglyceride

A fat molecule formed from one glycerol and three fatty acid chains.

Phospholipids

The primary lipids found in cell membranes.

Steroids

Lipids composed of 4 carbon rings with no fatty acid tail; examples include cholesterol and sex hormones.

Cholesterol

The most abundant sterol, an example of a steroid.

Waxes

Firm substances composed of long chains of fatty acids linked to long chain alcohols or carbon rings, known for repelling water (e.g., on plant leaves).