BIOLOGY 2e Chapter 3 BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES Lecture PowerPoint Slides

Flashcards reviewing key vocabulary terms from a Biology lecture on Biological Macromolecules.

Biological Macromolecules

Large organic molecules essential for life, including carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

Dehydration Synthesis

Process by which monomers combine to form polymers with the release of a water molecule.

Hydrolysis

Process by which polymers are broken down into monomers through the addition of water.

Enzymes

Biological molecules that catalyze or speed up chemical reactions.

Amylase, Sucrase, Lactase, Maltase

Enzymes that break down carbohydrates.

Lipases

Enzymes that break down lipids.

Pepsin and Peptidase

Enzymes that break down proteins.

Carbohydrates

Organic compounds found in grains, fruits, and vegetables that provide energy to the body in the form of glucose.

Monosaccharides

Simple sugars, usually with 3-7 carbons, that are the monomers of carbohydrates.

Aldoses

Monosaccharides with the carbonyl group at the end of the carbon chain.

Ketoses

Monosaccharides with the carbonyl group in the middle of the carbon chain.

Trioses

Monosaccharides with three carbons.

Pentoses

Monosaccharides with five carbons.

Hexoses

Monosaccharides with six carbons.

Structural Isomers

Molecules that have the same chemical formula but different structures.

Hexose Structural Isomers

Examples include: glucose, galactose, fructose.

Disaccharides

Sugars formed when two monosaccharides are linked in a dehydration reaction.

Glycosidic Bond (Glycosidic Linkage)

A covalent bond formed between two monosaccharides by a dehydration reaction.

Common Disaccharides

maltose, lactose, sucrose

Polysaccharides

Long chain of monosaccharides joined by glycosidic linkages; may be branched or unbranched.

Starch

Energy storage polysaccharide in plants.

Cellulose

Structural polysaccharide in the cell walls of plants.

Chitin

Structural polysaccharide in the cell walls of fungi and exoskeleton of arthropods.

Glycogen

Energy storage polysaccharide in animals.

Starch Composition

Two types are amylose and amylopectin; its monomers are joined in α 1-4 and α 1-6 glycosidic bonds.

Cellulose

Plant cell wall component; glucose monomers linked in unbranched chains by β 1-4 glycosidic linkages, resulting in a linear, fibrous structure.

Lipids

A diverse group of non-polar hydrocarbons that are hydrophobic.

Types of Lipids

Fats & Oils, Waxes, Phospholipids, Steroids

Fats

Lipids with two main components: glycerol and fatty acids.

Triacylglycerol

Formed by joining three fatty acids to a glycerol backbone through ester linkages.

Saturated Fatty Acids

Fatty acids containing no carbon-carbon double bonds; pack tightly and are solid at room temperature.

Unsaturated Fatty Acids

Fatty acids that contain at least one carbon-carbon double bond; most are liquids at room temperature.

Monounsaturated Fat

Unsaturated fat with one double bond.

Polyunsaturated Fat

Unsaturated fat with more than one double bond.

Cis Configuration

Configuration where hydrogens are on the same side of the carbon chain.

Trans Configuration

Configuration where hydrogens are on opposite sides of the carbon chain.

Essential Fatty Acids

Fatty acids that are required but not synthesized by the body and must be part of the diet.

Waxes

Hydrophobic lipids that prevent water from sticking to surfaces.

Phospholipids

Molecule with two fatty acids and a modified phosphate group attached to a glycerol backbone, having a hydrophobic portion and a hydrophilic portion.

Amphipathic Molecule

Molecule with both a hydrophobic and a hydrophilic portion.

Steroids

Lipids with a closed ring structure consisting of four linked carbon rings.

Cholesterol

The most common steroid; synthesized in the liver and is a precursor to other hormones.

Proteins

Most abundant organic molecules with a diverse range of regulatory, structural, protective, transport, and catalytic functions.

Enzymes

Catalysts in biochemical reactions that lower activation energy.

Catabolic Enzymes

Enzymes that break down substrates.

Anabolic Enzymes

Enzymes that build more complex molecules.

Amino Acids

Monomers that make up proteins; consist of a central carbon atom, amino group, carboxyl group, hydrogen, and side chain (R-group).

Peptide Bond

Bond that links amino acids; formed by dehydration synthesis reaction.

Polypeptide

A chain of amino acids joined together in peptide linkages.

Protein

A polypeptide or multiple polypeptides with a biological function; often combined with non-peptide groups.

Primary Protein Structure

The unique sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide.

Secondary Protein Structure

Local folding of the polypeptide due to hydrogen bonding in the polypeptide backbone; includes α-helix and β-pleated sheet.

Tertiary Protein Structure

The unique three-dimensional structure of a polypeptide due to chemical interactions between R-groups.

Quaternary Protein Structure

Interactions between several polypeptides that make up a protein.

Denaturation

Changes in protein structure that lead to changes in function.

Nucleic Acids

Polymers of different nucleotides in a specific sequence; includes DNA and RNA.

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)

Genetic material inherited from the previous generation that contains instructions for synthesizing proteins and RNAs.

Ribonucleic Acid (RNA)

Involved in protein synthesis; nucleotide sequence is made from a DNA template.

Chromatin

Complex of DNA and histone proteins.

Chromosomes

Threadlike structures containing tightly wound and packed chromatin.

Nucleotides

Monomers of nucleic acids consisting of a nitrogenous base, pentose sugar, and one or more phosphate groups.

Phosphodiester Linkage

A type of covalent bond that joins nucleotide monomers.

Pyrimidines

Single-ring nitrogenous bases (cytosine, thymine, uracil).

Purines

Double-ring nitrogenous bases (adenine, guanine).

DNA Structure

Double helix structure where the sugar and phosphate lie on the outside and nitrogenous bases are stacked in the interior.

Messenger RNA (mRNA)

Carries information for protein synthesis.

Transfer RNA (tRNA)

Serves as a bridge between nucleotides and amino acids.

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA)

Component of ribosomes; functions in protein synthesis.

The Central Dogma of Molecular Biology

DNA can make copies of itself (replication), DNA is transcribed into RNA, and RNA is translated to protein

Transcription

The process by which DNA expresses a particular gene by synthesizing mRNA.

Monosaccharides

Monomers of polysaccharides.

Fatty acids (with glycerol)

Monomers of fats.

Amino acids

Monomers of polypeptides (proteins).

Nucleotides

Monomers of nucleic acids.

Glycosidic

Covalent linkage of polysaccharides.

Ester

Covalent linkage of Fats.

Peptide

Covalent linkage of polypeptides.

Phosphodiester

Covalent linkage of nuclaic acids