C3: The Chemical Building Blocks of Life

How are macromolecules built up?

Macromolecules are built up from far smaller compounds with simpler chemical structures

Macromolecules are ______ built by ______ ______.

polymers, linking monomers

What are the 4 classes of macromolecule?

Carbohydrates, Proteins, Lipids, Nucleic Acids

What process is used for formation of macromolecule?

Dehydration, which is the removal of a water molecule.

Explain how dehydration leads to formation of macromolecules.

An H atom is removed from one monomer, while a hydroxyl (-OH) is removed from the other, forming a covalent bond between the two monomers.

What is the process used for breakdown of macromolecules?

Hydrolysis, which is the addition of a water molecule.

Explain how hydrolysis leads to breakdown of macromolecules.

An H atom is attached to one subunit , while a hydroxyl is attached to the other, breaking a specific covalent bond in the macromolecule.

Carbohydrates is a group of molecules that all contain 1. ____, ____ and ____ in the 2. ____ ratio _:_:_, and has the 3._____ formula of ______, where n = number of ____ atoms.

1. carbon, hydrogen, oxygen

2. molar, 1:2:1

3. empirical, (CH2O)n, carbon

Carbohydrates contain many 1._____- _____ bonds, which 2. _____ _____ when 3. _____ occur.

1. carbon-hydrogen

2. releases energy

3. oxidation

Carbohydrates can be classified into 3 groups:

Monosaccharides, Disaccharides, Polysaccharides

What is a monosaccharide? How are they grouped?

A monosaccharide is the simplest form of carbohydrates, so it cannot be broken down into smaller sugars.

They are grouped by how many carbon atoms they have in their structure (3/5/6)

Give 3 examples for 6-carbon sugar, 2 for 5-carbon sugar, 1 for 3-carbon sugar.

Glucose, fructose, galactose

Ribose, deoxyribose

Glyceraldehyde

What are isomers, as well as its structural and stereo variants?

Isomers are organic molecules that have the same molecular structure or empirical formula.

Structural isomers are different in structure of carbon skeleton, while stereoisomers have the same carbon skeleton but differ in how the groups in the skeleton are arranged.

____ is the most important 6-carbon sugar for _____-storage, and contains ___ energy storing __ - __ bonds.

Glucose, energy , C-H

____ is a structural isomer of glucose; it differs in the position of the ___________(___) and is more _____ than glucose.

Fructose, carbonyl carbon, sweeter

_____ is a _____ of glucose, differing in the position of ___ and ___ relative to the ring.

Galactose, stereoisomer, -OH, -H

Identify this.

Alpha - glucose

Identify this.

Deoxyribose

Identify this.

Galactose

Identify this.

Beta-glucose

Identify this

Ribose

Identify this.

Glyceraldehyde

Identify this.

Fructose

What are disaccharides?

They are transport sugars made out of 2 monosaccharides linked by dehydration synthesis.

Why are disaccharides called “transport sugars”?

They are used to move energy around organisms as they are small enough to dissolve in water, are stable and non-reactive compared to glucose, and can be transported in blood or plant sap without being immediately used up.

Which disaccharide is commonly known as table sugar? Which two monosaccharides is it made out of and what is this form normally used for?

Sucrose. It is made out of fructose and glucose and it is the form most plants use to transport glucose.

Which disaccharide is commonly known as milk sugar? Which two monosaccharides is it made out of and what is this form normally used for?

Lactose; It is made out of glucose and galactose and is the form used by most mammals to supply energy to their young.

What is maltose used for and which two monosaccharides is it made out of?

Maltose is used in grain for storage, and it is made out of 2 glucose.

What are polysaccharides? What are they used for?

Polysaccharides are long chains of monosaccharides linked through dehydration synthesis. They are used for energy storage or structural support in animals and plants.

Both starch and glycogen are ______ of ______ molecules.

polymers, glucose

Starch is used as _____ _____ in _____, and is made up of ______ subunits.

energy storage in plants, alpha-glucose

There are two types of starch: _____ and _____.

amylose and amylopectin

What is amylose made out of?

It is made out of many hundreds of alpha-glucose molecules linked together in long, unbranched chains. Each linkage occurs between carbon 1 of one glucose molecule, and carbon 4 of another, making them a-1→4 linkages.

Amylose tends to ______ in water, thus making it _____ as it is _____ and its surface are _____ _____ to water.

coil-up, insoluble, compact, less exposed

Similar to amylose, amylopectin is (structure), but it ____ ____. Amylopectin is also ____ in water, forming ____ ____ in ____ ____.

made out of many hundreds of alpha-glucose molecules joined by a-1–>4 molecules; forms branches.

insoluble, starch granules, plant cells

Describe the branches of amylopectin. Each branches consist of ___ to ___ _____ subunits.

Branches occur at bonds between C-1 of one molecule and C-6 of another, forming a-1—> 6 linkages.

20-30 glucose

Most plant starch is made up of _____.

Amylopectin

Glycogen is a _____ form in _____ made out of _____ subunits (equivalent to starch in plants). It is ____ in water and is similar to _____ which contains _____ _____, but has a much _____ _____ _____ _____ and a lot more _____.

storage, mammals, a-glucose

insoluble, branched chains, longer average chain length, branches

Cellulose is a structural polysaccharides made out of _____ subunits. It is _____ and _____, linked by _____ linkages.

beta-glucose, long and unbranched, B-1–>4

Cellulose forms _____ _____, which is very _____ and quite _____ to _____ _____. It is also the chief component of _____ _____ _____.

long fibres, strong and resistant to metabolic breakdown, plant cell wall

Why can’t most organisms (humans,etc) break down cellulose?

Most organisms have enzymes that only recognise a linkages but not B linkages.

____ is the principal ____ ____ of many ____, such as lobsters. It is a ____ of _________, a derivative of ____. It forms ____, ____ ____ material when ____ - ____ by _____( ____ ____ of insects and crustaceans).

Chitin, skeleton element, invertebrates

polymer, N-acetylglucosamine, glucose

hard, resistant surface, cross-linked, proteins, hard exoskeleton

What are proteins?

Proteins are long, linear polymers of amino acids. They are also composed by one or more long, unbranched chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds (chain is called polypeptide).

General chain of proteins?

Amino Acids → Polypeptides → Proteins

Proteins are ____ by ____ found in ____, and are ____ in the ____ by the process of ____ using ____ as a ____.

encoded, genes, DNA, synthesised, cell, translation, mRNA, template

Proteins are ____ to ____ ____ as they are involved in many ____ ____ and ____ like ____.

essential, cellular functions, cellular activities and processes like enzymes

____ is the ____ ____ of protein, and has a _____ _____ atom linked to ___ side groups: dx q