Ch2 Narration # (2.5 Organic Compounds)

Polymer

Chainlike molecules made of many similar or repeating units called monomers.

Dehydration synthesis

The process by which monomers are joined to form polymers through the removal of water molecules.

Hydrolysis

The process by which polymers are broken down into monomers through the addition of water molecules.

Monosaccharides

Simple sugars and the structural units of the carbohydrate group, containing three to seven carbon atoms.

Disaccharides

Two simple sugars joined by dehydration synthesis.

Polysaccharides

Long, branching chains of linked simple sugars, often used for storage.

Triglycerides

The most abundant lipids, composed of three fatty acid chains and a glycerol molecule.

Saturated fatty acids

Fatty acids that contain only single covalent bonds, leading to straight chains that exist as solids at room temperature.

Unsaturated fatty acids

Fatty acids that contain one or more double covalent bonds, causing kinks in the chains which remain liquid at room temperature.

Phospholipids

Lipids that contain two fatty acid chains rather than three; consist of a hydrophobic tail and a hydrophilic head.

Proteins

Large, complex molecules that account for more than half of the body's organic matter and play vital roles in cell functions.

Amino acids

Building blocks of proteins, with 21 different kinds important for various functions in the body.

Enzymes

Proteins that act as biological catalysts to increase the rates of chemical reactions.

Nucleic acids

Molecules that consist of nucleotides and are involved in the formation of genes, including DNA and RNA.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

The chemical energy used by all cells, composed of ribose sugar, adenine, and three phosphate groups.