Chemistry of life - Unit 1 AP Biology

Macromolecules and everything else. Unit 1 APBIO

Monomers

The building blocks of polymers.

Dehydration Synthesis

A process where one monomer forms a covalent bond to another monomer by releasing a water molecule.

Hydrolysis

A process where a bond is broken by adding a water molecule.

Monosaccharide

Simple sugars containing 3-7 carbon atoms; examples include glucose, fructose, and galactose.

Disaccharides

Form when two monosaccharides bond via dehydration synthesis; examples include lactose, maltose, and sucrose.

Polysaccharides

Long chains of monosaccharides linked by glycosidic bonds; examples include starch, glycogen, cellulose, and chitin.

Starch

Stored form of sugars in plants.

Glycogen

Storage form of glucose in humans.

Primary Structure (Proteins)

Sequence of amino acids.

Secondary Structure (Proteins)

Arises due to interactions of the peptide backbone, including beta-pleated sheets and alpha-helixes.

Tertiary Structure (Proteins)

Due to interactions of side chains, involving hydrophobic, hydrophilic interactions, and hydrogen bonds.

Quaternary Structure (Proteins)

Arrangement of multiple polypeptide chains together.

Triglycerides (Fats)

Formed when glycerol bonds with 3 fatty acids through dehydration, resulting in ester bonds.

Saturated Fat

Saturated by hydrogen, solid at room temperature, and contains no double bonds.

Unsaturated Fat

Contains fewer hydrogens, liquid at room temperature, and contains kinks formed by double bonds.

Nucleic Acids

Store and pass on genetic information.

Nitrogenous Base

Nitrogen-containing ring that is part of a nucleotide (monomer of Nucleic Acids).

Purine

Nitrogenous bases with two rings: Adenine and Guanine.

Pyrimidine

Nitrogenous bases with a single ring: Thymine, Uracil, and Cytosine.

Deoxyribose

DNA's sugar; the 2nd carbon has a hydrogen.

Ribose

RNA's sugar; the 2nd carbon has a hydroxyl group.

Anti-Parallel Orientation

DNA chains are found in a double helix of two complementary chains, which have opposite directionality.

mRNA

An intermediate between a protein-coding gene and its protein product.

rRNA

Helps accelerate chemical reactions and helps mRNA bind to the right spot.

tRNA

Brings amino acids to the ribosome.