Bio 107 Lab 3: Macromolecules Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards summarizing macromolecule structures, monomers, polymers, chemical reactions, indicator tests, and spectrophotometry from Bio 107 Lab 3.

Macromolecules

Large cellular building blocks that form cells and organelles, categorized into four basic types: lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids.

Monomer

One basic unit or subunit that can bind to other similar units to build larger molecules.

Polymer

A large molecule composed of a chain of many repeating basic units or subunits called monomers.

Dehydration Synthesis

A chemical reaction that forms large molecules (polymers) by removing water.

Hydrolysis

A chemical reaction that breaks down large molecules into smaller units by adding water.

Fatty Acid

The basic monomer subunit of lipid molecules.

Lipids

Polymers made of fatty acid monomers that function in long-term energy storage, body insulation, and cell membrane structure.

Lipid Bilayer

A double-layered membrane structure formed by lipids surrounding water-filled cellular compartments.

Amino Acid

The basic monomer subunit of proteins, featuring a central carbon bound to a hydrogen atom, an amino group, a carboxyl group, and a variant R-group.

Dipeptide

A molecule consisting of two amino acids linked together by a peptide bond.

Polypeptide

A polymer chain consisting of many amino acids linked together by peptide bonds.

Primary Protein Structure

The basic sequence of a chain of amino acids in a protein.

Secondary Protein Structure

Protein structure formed when amino acid sequences are linked by hydrogen bonds into structures such as alpha helices or pleated sheets.

Tertiary Protein Structure

Three-dimensional folding of a protein that occurs due to attractions between alpha helices and pleated sheets.

Quaternary Protein Structure

A complex protein structure formed by more than one amino acid chain.

Enzymes

Specialized proteins that act as catalysts to speed up biological chemical reactions.

Biuret's Solution

An indicator reagent used to detect protein, turning from blue to purple when proteins are present.

Monosaccharide

A simple sugar monomer, such as glucose, that serves as the basic unit of carbohydrates.

Disaccharide

A carbohydrate composed of two simple sugars bonded together.

Polysaccharide

A complex carbohydrate polymer made of chains of monosaccharides, such as starch, cellulose, chitin, and glycogen.

Benedict's Solution

An indicator reagent for simple sugars that changes from blue to orange, green, or brown when simple sugars are present.

Iodine ($\text{I}_2\text{KI}$)

An indicator test solution for complex carbohydrates that changes from orange-red-brown to black-purple in the presence of starch.

Nucleotide

The monomer building block of nucleic acids, consisting of a phosphate group, a five-carbon sugar, and a nitrogen-containing base.

Nucleic Acids

Polymers such as DNA and RNA that store and carry genetic information.

Dische Diphenylamine Test

An indicator test for nucleic acids that turns from clear to blue or dark blue if nucleic acids are present.

Spectrophotometry

A laboratory technique used to measure the concentration of solutes dissolved in a solution.

Spectrophotometer

An instrument that quantifies the amount of light absorbed and transmitted by a dissolved chemical solution.