The Molecules of Life and Cell Division

Flashcards covering the structural components of macromolecules, their functions in the human body, and the different types of cell division based on Professor Z's lecture.

Macromolecules

Large molecules, also referred to as polymers, made of two or more elements in a bond.

Polymers

Large molecules made up of many repeating subunits called monomers.

Monomers

Single units, such as amino acids or glucose, that chemically bind together to form larger polymers.

Proteins

Large polymers made up of monomers or subunits called amino acids.

Amino Acids

The building blocks of proteins, consisting of a central carbon, a hydrogen, an amino group ($N$ attached to two $H$), a carboxyl group ($C$ double-bonded to $O$ with an $OH$ group), and a side chain.

Essential Amino Acids

The group of amino acids that must be obtained from food sources and the diet.

Peptide Bonds

The chemical bonds that link amino acids together to form peptides and proteins.

Primary Structure

The level of protein structure determined by the specific sequence of amino acids next to each other.

Secondary Structure

The protein level where amino acids are linked by hydrogen bonds, forming shapes like an alpha helix or a pleated beta sheet.

Tertiary Structure

The level involving further interaction between alpha helices and beta sheets within a polypeptide chain.

Quaternary Structure

The highest level of protein structure involving interactions between more than one polypeptide chain.

Antibodies

Defense proteins produced by white blood cells in the immune system to help fight infection.

Hemoglobin

A transport protein in red blood cells used to carry gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Carbohydrates

Molecules made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen where the amount of hydrogen is double that of oxygen and carbon, often represented by the formula $C_6H_{12}O_6$ for glucose.

Monosaccharides

Single units of sugar, such as glucose, fructose, and galactose.

Disaccharides

Carbohydrates made of two sugar units, including lactose, maltose, and sucrose.

Polysaccharides

Large carbohydrate molecules such as starch, glycogen (stored in liver and muscle), and cellulose (plant cell walls).

Lipids

Commonly known as fats, these are nonpolar hydrocarbons composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that are insoluble in water.

Triglyceride

A type of lipid composed of a glycerol group attached to three fatty acid or hydrocarbon chains.

Phospholipid

A molecule with two hydrocarbon fatty acid chains and a phosphate group attached to a glycerol group, forming the bilayer of the cell membrane.

Cholesterol

A waxy lipid substance made of a $27$ carbon compound.

Saturated Fats

Fats that are solid at room temperature because every carbon in the hydrocarbon chain is attached to two hydrogens.

Unsaturated Fats

Fats that are liquid at room temperature and contain double bonds between carbons, creating 'kinky' hydrocarbon chains.

Nucleic Acids

Polymers like DNA and RNA that store and transmit genetic information.

Nucleotide

The monomer of nucleic acids composed of a pentose sugar (ribose or deoxyribose), a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base (Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine, or Guanine).

Transcription

The process of making an RNA copy of a specific gene sequence from DNA.

Translation

The process where a ribosome reads a single-stranded RNA transcript to synthesize a protein.

Chromatin

A form of DNA where the double-stranded helix is wrapped around protein complexes called histones.

Chromosomes

The most condensed form of DNA, existing as tightly bound structures that only occur during cell division.

Mitosis

A type of cell division for growth and repair where a parent cell produces two identical diploid daughter cells.

Meiosis

Also called cell reduction, a two-series division process that results in four haploid daughter cells, each containing $23$ chromosomes.