Mini Test 1 Practice Questions Review

A set of vocabulary-style flashcards based on practice questions for Mini Test 1, covering cell biology, biochemistry, and genetics.

Starch

A glucose polymer used for energy storage in cells, characterized by glycosidic bonds.

Cellulose

A structural glucose polymer found in the cell wall, utilizing hydrogen bonding and beta configuration linkages.

Glycogen

A glucose polymer used for energy storage in humans that features alpha configuration linkages and is readily metabolized by human enzymes.

Alpha ($\alpha$) configuration

A specific arrangement of the glycosidic bond in glucose polymers like starch and glycogen that affects how they are metabolized.

Beta ($\beta$) configuration

A configuration of glucose monomers found in cellulose that contributes to its structural role in cell walls.

Glycosidic bond

A covalent bond that links glucose monomers together to form carbohydrate polymers.

Peptide bond

A covalent bond formed between the carboxyl group of one amino acid and the amino group of another during protein formation.

Primary structure

The first level of protein complexity, which describes the linear sequence of amino acids.

Globular protein

A protein type where specific amino acids are sequestered in the middle to form a core, contributing to its complex tertiary structure.

Triacylglycerol (TAG)

A lipid molecule consisting of fatty acid tails used for energy storage, which cannot serve as a component of cell membranes.

Phospholipids

Lipids containing hydrophilic head groups and hydrophobic fatty acid tails, making them suited to form semi-permeable cell membranes.

Activation energy barrier

The energy requirement that must be met for both exergonic and endergonic reactions to proceed.

Spontaneous reaction

A reaction that occurs without requiring a net input of energy, associated with a negative $\Delta G$ value.

Coupled reaction

A process where an energy releasing reaction, such as ATP hydrolysis, is used to power a reaction requiring energy input.

Gibbs free energy ($\Delta G$)

A thermodynamic value used to determine the energy requirement for a chemical reaction to be spontaneous or non-spontaneous.

Electron transport chain (ETC)

A system in aerobic respiration where energy is transformed as electrons move from donors to a terminal electron acceptor.

Okazaki fragments

Short DNA sequences synthesized on the lagging strand during DNA replication in the $5'$ to $3'$ direction.

G1 checkpoint

The major regulatory point in the cell cycle that determines if the cell will continue to divide.

G2 and M phase checkpoints

Cell cycle regulatory points that ensure cellular readiness before the cell continues to divide; failure results in specific phenotypic outcomes.

Ribose

A class of molecule (sugar) that serves as a core component of RNA, bonding to nitrogenous bases and phosphate groups.

Dehydration reaction

The type of chemical reaction that occurs during the formation of a peptide bond, involving the removal of a water molecule.