Unit 2 Biology: Macromolecules, Chemical Reactions, and Enzymes

Flashcards covering Unit 2 topics including biological macromolecules, monomer structure, reaction energetics, protein folding levels, and enzyme catalysis.

Proteins

Molecules inside cells that help with structure and function, built from amino acid building blocks.

Carbohydrates

Molecules including sugar, starch, and cellulose that provide structure for plant cells and short-term or quick energy storage.

Nucleic Acids

Polymers of nucleotide monomers, such as DNA and RNA.

Building Blocks of Nucleic Acids

Nitrogenous base, sugar, and phosphate group.

Building Blocks of Proteins

Amino acids.

Polymerization

Process that links monomers together by removing water ($H_2O$ away).

Hydrolysis

Process where a water molecule ($H_2O$ brought in) is used to break apart polymers.

Starch / Glycogen

Polymers whose function is to provide quick energy and short-term energy storage.

Cellulose

Polymer whose function is to provide structure for plant cells.

Saturated Fats

Fats containing the maximum number of hydrogens with no double bonds between carbons.

Unsaturated Fats

Fats that do not contain the maximum number of hydrogens, have double bonds between carbons, and are liquid at room temperature.

Primary Structure

The sequence of amino acids in a protein chain.

Secondary Structure

Coiling or folding of the amino acid chain because of hydrogen bonding in the backbone.

Tertiary Structure

The 3D shape of a polypeptide formed from interacting $R$ groups.

Quaternary Structure

Protein structure formed from 2 or more polypeptide chains (subunits).

Parts of an Amino Acid

Consists of an amino group, carboxyl group, hydrogen atom, central carbon, and $R$ group.

Reactants

The elements or compounds that engage in a chemical reaction.

Products

The elements or compounds produced by a chemical reaction.

Chemical Equilibrium

State in which the forward and backward reaction rates are equal.

Activation Energy

The amount of energy that needs to be absorbed for a chemical reaction to start.

Exothermic Reaction

A reaction that releases more energy than it absorbs.

Endothermic Reaction

A reaction that absorbs more energy than it releases.

Catalyst

A substance that speeds up a chemical reaction.

Enzyme

A biological macromolecule with a specific 3D shape that speeds up chemical reactions.

Substrate

A specific reactant that an enzyme acts on.

Enzyme Environmental Vulnerability

Enzymes will only function in their designed locations, nowhere else.

Enzyme Activity Graph

A graph illustrating energy vs. reaction progress, showing that reactions with an enzyme require lower activation energy compared to reactions without an enzyme, while overall energy change remains the same.

Denature

A shape change in an enzyme caused by a temperature or pH change.