Biological Molecules and Macromolecules Deck

These flashcards cover key concepts and terminology related to biological molecules, including macromolecules, polymers, and reactions involved in their synthesis and breakdown.

What are macromolecules and what are they composed of?

Very large biological molecules that are polymers composed of many monomer subunits.

What is condensation Synthesis?

The process of synthesizing macromolecules by covalently linking monomers with the loss of a water molecule.

What are monomers?

Building blocks of polymers that can exist independently (ex: glucose and amino acids)

What are polymers?

Molecules composed of linked monomers

What is a hydrolysis reaction?

A reaction that breaks apart bonds via the addition of water, releasing monomers.

Disaccharides

Sugars composed of two monosaccharide units linked by a condensation reaction, such as sucrose.

What are oligosaccharides

Short chains of 3 or more sugar monomers that are not macromolecules.

What are polysaccharides

True macromolecules made up of hundreds to thousands of linked monomer subunits.

What are lipids

Large biological molecules that mix poorly with water and include fats, phospholipids, and steroids.

What are saturated Fatty Acids

Fatty acids with hydrocarbon chains connected by single bonds only.

What are unsaturated Fatty Acids

Fatty acids that contain one or more double bonds in their hydrocarbon chains.

What are phospholipids

Molecules that have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts and form the basis of biological membranes.

What are steroids

Hydrophobic, non-fatty acid-based lipids composed of four fused carbon rings.

What is amylose

Straight-chain starch that contains only α-1,4 bonds between glucose subunits.

What is cellulose

A glucose polymer composed of β-1,4 bonds, important in plant cell walls and dietary fiber.

What kind of bonds bind monomers together to make polymers?

Covalent bonds

What is a condensation/dehydration reaction?

The formation of a covalent bond with the loss of a water molecule used to attach monomers together in the formation of polymers.

What is a condensation/dehydration synthesis?

Several to many rounds of condensation reactions, leading to the formation of small polymers, all the way to large biological molecules or macromolecules

What are the four major groups of biological molecules/macromolecules?

Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids

What are proteins?

Polymers made up of amino acids

What are nucleic acids?

Polymers made up of nucleotides, essential for storing and transmitting genetic information.

What are carbohydrates?

simple sugars or polymers of sugar units

What is the suffix for monosaccharides?

typically end in “ose”

5 and 6 carbon monosaccharides can exist in two forms, what are these two forms?

linear and ring forms

What are the two major cellular roles for monosaccharides?

• form parts of other molecules

• energy metabolism

How are disaccharides formed?

one condensation reaction between two monosaccharides is sufficient to form a disaccharide

What is the difference in water solubility between long and short chain oligosaccharides?

Short chain oligosaccharides are highly water soluble while long chain oligosaccharides are less water soluble

What is the relationship between polysaccharides and water?

They are poorly water soluble but hydrophilic so water is attracted to them

What are some subgroups of lipids?

fats, phospholipids, and steroids

What is the composition of fats?

three fatty acids attached to a 3C backbone

Why are fats better for energy storage compared to carbohydrates?

Fats have a higher energy density due to more bonds; they store more energy per gram than carbohydrates.

The double bonds in fatty acids can be cis or trans, what is the difference between these two configurations?

• In the cis configuration, both hydrogens are on the same side of the hydrocarbon chain.

• In the trans configuration, the hydrogens are on opposite sides

What’s the difference in the state of unsaturated vs saturated fats at room temperature?

Unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and saturated fats are solid at room temperature

What process is used to reduce unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids?

Hydrogenation

What is the purpose of hydrogena

Define the term amphipathic

having hydrophilic snd hydrophobic regions

Which side of the phospholipid is hydrophilic and which is hydrophobic?

the head is hydrophilic while the tail is hydrophobic

What is the basic structure of all steroids?

4 carbon based rings

What are the two major roles of steroids?

• hormonal

• structural