( Chapter 3 - Carbon and Life ) 9.02

What are monomers?

Monomers are simple building blocks such as simple sugars, amino acids, and nucleotides.

What are polymers?

Polymers are long chains of repeating monomer subunits.

What is dehydration synthesis?

Dehydration synthesis is the process by which enzymes link monomers to form polymers.

What is the role of enzymes in biochemical reactions?

Enzymes act as biological catalysts that speed up biochemical reactions.

What are carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are organic molecules that provide energy, existing as simple sugars (monosaccharides) and complex sugars (polysaccharides).

What is the primary function of carbohydrates?

The primary function of carbohydrates is to provide energy, either immediately or stored.

What are triglycerides?

Triglycerides are a type of lipid that consists of three fatty acids and a glycerol backbone, primarily used for long-term energy storage.

What is the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats?

Saturated fats have no double bonds between carbon atoms, while unsaturated fats have at least one double bond.

What are proteins?

Proteins are diverse macromolecules consisting of amino acids that perform a wide range of functions in the body.

What bonds link amino acids together?

Amino acids are linked together by peptide bonds.

What is the structure of DNA?

DNA consists of two antiparallel polynucleotide strands twisted into a double helix.

What are nucleotides?

Nucleotides are the monomers of nucleic acids, consisting of a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

What is the difference between DNA and RNA?

DNA contains deoxyribose and the bases A, T, C, G, while RNA contains ribose and the bases A, U, C, G.

What is the secondary structure of proteins?

The secondary structure of proteins refers to the coiling (alpha helix) and folding (beta pleated sheets) of the polypeptide backbone due to hydrogen bonding.

What is denaturation?

Denaturation is the alteration of a protein's structure due to changes in temperature, pH, salinity, and polarity, which affects its functionality.

What are phospholipids?

Phospholipids are molecules that comprise the cell membrane, consisting of a hydrophilic phosphate group and two hydrophobic fatty acid tails.

What is cellulose?

Cellulose is a structural polysaccharide found in the cell walls of plants, composed of beta glucose monomers.

What are the four main types of macromolecules?

The four main types of macromolecules are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

How do monocaccharides form disaccharides?

Monosaccharides form disaccharides through glycosidic linkages, facilitated by enzyme activity.

What is a polypeptide?

Peptides(polypeptides) are short chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds

How do monosaccharides form disaccharides?

through dehydration synthesis + glycosidic linkages

What is a monosaccharide?

simple sugars found in carbohydrates

What are some examples of monosaccharides?

Examples include glucose, fructose, and galactose.

What are cellulose and starch?

Cellulose is a structural polysaccharide in plant cell walls made of\beta -glucose monomers, while starch is an energy storage polysaccharide in plants made of\alpha -glucose monomers. Both are polymers of glucose but differ in their glycosidic linkages and hence their functions.