Biological Macromolecules and Genetics Lecture Notes

Vocabulary flashcards covering biological macromolecules (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids), their structure, functions, and the fundamental principles of genetics, genes, and chromosomes.

Biomolecules

Organic compounds essential to life made by living things, also referred to as biochemicals.

Polymer

A large molecule composed of repeating subunits known as monomers.

Monomer

A molecule that can react with other molecules to form larger molecules or polymers.

Hormones

Special chemical messengers created in the endocrine gland.

Enzymes

Proteins that increase the speed of biochemical reactions.

Carbohydrates

The simplest biomolecules, literally meaning “HYDRATES OF CARBON” with the formula $(CH_2O)_n$, containing Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen.

Monosaccharides

The simplest form and monomers of carbohydrates, typically containing three to seven carbon atoms.

Disaccharides

Carbohydrates formed when two monosaccharides undergo a condensation reaction; examples include maltose, lactose, and sucrose.

Polysaccharides

Long chains of monosaccharides linked by glycosidic bonds, such as starch, glycogen, and cellulose.

Lipids

Biological molecules defined by low solubility in water, derived from the Greek word “lipos” meaning fat.

Bloor

The German biochemist who first used the term lipid in 1943.

Triglycerides

Also called triacylglycerols, these are lipids made up of a glycerol and 3 fatty acids.

Phospholipids

Molecules made of a glycerol, a phosphate group, and two fatty acids that form part of the cell membrane structure.

Steroids

Hydrophobic and water-insoluble lipids also called sterols, including cholesterol, estrogen, and testosterone.

Prostaglandins

Lipids biochemically synthesized from arachidonic acid that produce fevers and inflammatory reactions.

Protein

Large complex molecules derived from the Greek word prōteios, meaning “holding first place,” coined by Jöns Jacob Berzelius in 1838.

Amino Acids

Organic compounds containing Carbon, Oxygen, Hydrogen, and Nitrogen that combine in long chains to form proteins; there are 20 different types.

Nucleotide

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

Nucleoside

A combination of a nitrogenous base and a five-carbon sugar without a phosphate group.

Friedrich Miescher

The individual who discovered a substance in cell nuclei in 1869, which he called nuclein.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)

The genetic material found in all living organisms, structured as a double helix resembling a twisted ladder.

Messenger RNA (mRNA)

RNA that carries genetic information directly from the DNA in the nucleus to the cytoplasm.

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA)

RNA that ensures the proper alignment of mRNA and ribosomes.

Transfer RNA (tRNA)

RNA that carries the correct amino acid to the site of protein synthesis.

Genome

The complete set of DNA of an organism, including all of its genes.

Gene

A specific section of a DNA molecule that serves as the functional unit of heredity and contains instructions for protein production.

Chromosomes

Organized structures composed of DNA tightly coiled around special proteins called histones, located in the nucleus.

Centromere

The structure in a chromosome that holds two sister chromatids together and attaches to the spindle during cell division.

Telomere

Specific DNA-protein structures at the ends of chromosomes that protect the genome from degradation and fusion.

Sister Chromatid

Two identical copies of the same chromosome formed by DNA replication.

Alleles

Alternative forms of a gene that code for specific traits, with two alleles inherited for each trait.

Genotype

The two alleles a person has inherited for a particular gene, classified as homozygous or heterozygous.

Phenotype

The detectable physical expression or appearance of an individual's genotype.

Gregor Mendel

The Father of Genetics who discovered the laws of inheritance through experiments with the garden pea, Pisum sativum.

Cistron

A term coined by S. Benzer in 1957 representing the gene as a unit of transmission specifying a single polypeptide chain.

Recon

The smallest segment of DNA capable of being separated and exchanged during recombination, consisting of no more than two nucleotide pairs.

Muton

A term coined by S. Benzer referring to the gene as a unit of mutation.