AP Biology: Introduction to Macromolecules and Functional Groups

Flashcards reviewing biological macromolecules, monomers, functional groups, dehydration synthesis, and hydrolysis reactions based on the AP Biology lecture notes.

What is the primary difference between a monomer and a macromolecule?

A monomer is a small, simple building block, whereas a macromolecule is a large, complex molecule.

How is a polymer defined in relation to monomers?

A polymer is a macromolecule that is specifically built from repeating units of a smaller monomer.

What are the four main categories of biological macromolecules?

Lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, and nucleic acids.

What monomers and constituent elements make up lipids?

Lipids are built from fatty acids and glycerol, and they contain the elements Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen.

What is the monomer of carbohydrates, and what are three examples of complex carbohydrates?

The monomer is simple sugars, and three examples of complex carbohydrates are starch, cellulose, and glycogen.

What is the monomer of proteins, and what are three examples of proteins?

The monomer is amino acids, and examples include enzymes, receptors, and hormones.

What are two types of nucleic acids, their monomer, and their constituent elements?

The two types are DNA and RNA; their monomer is nucleotides; and their constituent elements are Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus.

What is a functional group?

A functional group is a group of atoms in a molecule that affects the physical and chemical properties of that molecule.

What are the general formulas for the hydroxyl, amino, carboxyl, and phosphate functional groups?

Hydroxyl is $X-OH$, amino is $X-NH_2$, carboxyl is $X-COOH$, and phosphate is $X-PO_4$.

What are two key reasons why functional groups are important in chemistry?

They determine physical and chemical properties (such as polarity and charge) and they give molecules directionality or orientation.

How do functional groups provide directionality to DNA strands and amino acids?

One side of a DNA strand ends in a phosphate group and the other in a hydroxyl group; each amino acid has an amino group terminus and a carboxyl group terminus.

Which functional group is found only in nucleic acids among the four macromolecules, and why?

The phosphate group, because phosphorus is the only element present in nucleic acids that is not found in the other biological macromolecules.

What is dehydration synthesis, and what do its component terms literally mean?

It is a chemical reaction that builds polymers by joining monomers together; "dehydration" means water loss and "synthesis" means building.

What chemical interaction takes place during dehydration synthesis, and what is its byproduct?

An $-H$ of one monomer reacts with an $-OH$ on another monomer to form a covalent bond, producing water ($H_2O$) as a byproduct.

Which functional groups react during the dehydration synthesis of simple sugars into carbohydrates?

Two hydroxyl ($-OH$) groups react.

Which functional groups react during the dehydration synthesis of nucleotides into nucleic acids?

Hydroxyl and phosphate functional groups react.

Between which two functional groups does dehydration synthesis occur in amino acids, and what specific type of bond is formed?

It occurs between an amino group ($-NH_2$) and a carboxyl group ($-COOH$), forming a covalent bond known as a peptide bond.

What is hydrolysis, and what do its component terms literally mean?

It is a chemical reaction that digests or breaks down polymers into monomers; "hydro" means water and "lysis" means breaking.

What are two key pieces of visual evidence that hydrolysis is occurring in a reaction diagram?

Water ($H_2O$) is used as a reactant and a covalent bond between functional groups is broken (cleaved).

What are the specific products obtained when RNA, enzymes, and fats are hydrolyzed?

Hydrolyzing RNA yields nucleotides; hydrolyzing enzymes yields amino acids; and hydrolyzing fats yields fatty acids and glycerol.