Nucleic Acids and Carbohydrates - Vocabulary (Video Notes)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and definitions from the lecture notes on nucleic acids and carbohydrates.

Dehydration synthesis

A condensation reaction that links monomers to form polymers with release of a water molecule.

Hydrolysis

Chemical breakdown of polymers by adding water, yielding monomers.

Polymer

A large molecule built from repeating subunits (monomers) covalently linked.

Monomer

A single unit that can join to form polymers; the basic building block of a polymer.

Monosaccharide

A simple sugar; the basic unit of carbohydrates (e.g., glucose).

Disaccharide

Two monosaccharides linked by a glycosidic bond.

Polysaccharide

A polymer composed of many monosaccharide units; includes starch, glycogen, cellulose.

Glycosidic bond

Covalent bond that connects monosaccharides in carbohydrates.

Aldose

Monosaccharide with an aldehyde group (CHO).

Ketose

Monosaccharide with a ketone group (C=O) within the carbon skeleton.

Hexose

A six-carbon monosaccharide (e.g., glucose).

Pentose

A five-carbon monosaccharide (e.g., ribose).

Anomeric carbon

The carbon in a cyclic sugar that forms the glycosidic bond; the carbonyl carbon in the ring form.

Alpha anomer

A cyclic sugar form where the anomeric hydroxyl is below the plane (down).

Beta anomer

A cyclic sugar form where the anomeric hydroxyl is above the plane (up).

Glycogen

A highly branched glucose polymer that serves as storage in animals.

Amylose

Linear component of starch, composed of glucose units linked by α-1,4 glycosidic bonds.

Amylopectin

Branched component of starch with α-1,4 bonds and α-1,6 branches.

Starch

Plant storage polysaccharide made of amylose and amylopectin.

Glucose

A six-carbon monosaccharide; primary energy source for cells.

Cellulose

Structural polysaccharide in plants with β-1,4 linkages; indigestible in humans.

Glycosidic bond orientation

Bond between sugars that can be in α or β configuration depending on the anomeric carbon.

5′ phosphate (in nucleotides)

The phosphate group is attached to the 5′ carbon of the sugar in a nucleotide.

2′ carbon (RNA vs DNA)

Presence of a 2′ hydroxyl distinguishes RNA (has 2′OH) from DNA (lacks 2′OH).

Nucleotides

Monomers of nucleic acids, consisting of a sugar, a phosphate, and a nitrogenous base.

Phosphodiester bond

Covalent bond linking the phosphate of one nucleotide to the sugar of the next, forming the backbone.

Purines

Double-ring nitrogenous bases (adenine and guanine).

Pyrimidines

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

Uracil

Pyrimidine base found in RNA (replaces thymine).

Adenine pairing (in DNA/RNA context)

Purine that pairs with thymine in DNA and with uracil in RNA.

Complementary base pairing

Bases pair specifically: A with T (or U in RNA), and G with C.

Anti-parallel arrangement

DNA strands run in opposite directions: one 5′→3′, the other 3′→5′.

Reverse complement

Two strands are reverse complementary; one strand runs 5′→3′ and the other 3′→5′ with complementary bases.

5′ to 3′ ends

Directionality of the nucleic acid backbone; distinct 5′ and 3′ ends.