Biology: Carbon Compounds & Carbohydrates (Review Flashcards)

A set of practice flashcards covering key concepts from the notes on carbon compounds and carbohydrates, including monomers, polymers, major functional groups, isomer types, carbohydrate structure and digestion, and basic lipid biology.

What is the monomer for carbohydrates and its general formula?

A monosaccharide; general formula n(CH2O).

How are disaccharides and polysaccharides formed from monosaccharides?

They are formed by condensation (dehydration synthesis) reactions that release a water molecule per bond formed.

What are the two main types of reactions involved in building and breaking down carbohydrate polymers?

Condensation (dehydration synthesis) to build; hydrolysis to break bonds using water.

Name the five functional groups you should recognize in biology.

Hydroxyl, carboxyl, amino, phosphate, and methyl.

Describe the hydroxyl functional group in terms of polarity and ionization.

Hydroxyl is polar, does not ionize, and can form hydrogen bonds with water.

What are the four major groups of cell biomolecules?

Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

What is the monomer for carbohydrates?

A monosaccharide.

What is the monomer for proteins?

An amino acid.

What is the monomer for nucleic acids?

A nucleotide.

Do lipids have a simple monomer? If not, what is a common lipid building block?

No; lipids lack a simple monomer. Many lipids are triglycerides formed from glycerol and three fatty acids; other lipids include phospholipids, waxes, and steroids.

What is the polymer formed by carbohydrates?

Polysaccharide.

What is the general formula of monosaccharides and a common example?

General formula: n(CH2O); example: glucose, C6H12O6.

What are examples of polysaccharides made from glucose units?

Glycogen, starch (amylose), and cellulose.

What type of glycosidic linkage connects glucose units in starch?

Alpha-1,4 glycosidic linkages.

What type of glycosidic linkage connects glucose units in cellulose?

Beta-1,4 glycosidic linkages.

Why can't humans digest cellulose with their own enzymes?

Because humans lack cellulase to hydrolyze beta-1,4 linkages; digestion often requires gut microbes (e.g., in termites via symbiotic microbes).

Which organisms are famous for digesting wood and cellulose, and how do they do it?

Termites; they rely on cellulase-producing microbes in their gut to hydrolyze cellulose.

What is the difference between alpha and beta glucose ring forms?

They differ in the orientation of the hydroxyl group on the anomeric carbon (C1) in the ring; alpha has the OH below, beta has it above.

What are isomers and what are the three main types mentioned?

Isomers are compounds with the same formula but different structures; structural isomers, geometric (cis-trans) isomers, and enantiomers (stereoisomers).

What is the pharmacological significance of enantiomers?

Enantiomers can have different biological activities; for example, thalidomide and dopamine enantiomers can have different effects.

Which functional group is commonly positively charged at cellular pH?

The amino group (–NH3+).

Which functional group is commonly negatively charged at cellular pH?

The carboxyl group (–COO−).

What disaccharides are given as examples in the notes?

Sucrose and maltose.

What deficiency causes lactose intolerance?

Primary lactase deficiency—reduced lactase production with age.

What is the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats?

Saturated fats have no double bonds between carbon atoms (max hydrogen); unsaturated fats have one or more double bonds (kinks) and typically lower melting points.

What includes triglycerides and how are they formed?

Triglycerides are fats formed from glycerol (3C) and three fatty acids.

What are the four major groups of organic biomolecules and their monomers?

Carbohydrates: monomer = monosaccharide; Lipids: no single monomer (often glycerol + fatty acids in triglycerides); Proteins: monomer = amino acid; Nucleic acids: monomer = nucleotide.