Organic Chemistry Monomers and Polymers

Flashcards covering key concepts about biomolecules, their structure, functions, and significance in organic chemistry.

What are the four important classes of biomolecules?

Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

What is the structure of carbohydrates in terms of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen?

Carbohydrates contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a 1:2:1 ratio.

What are the three categories of carbohydrates?

Monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides.

What is a monosaccharide?

A simple sugar containing 3 to 7 carbon atoms.

What are the two types of fatty acids?

Saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.

What do steroids contain that is different from other types of lipids?

Four-ringed carbon structures.

What are the seven major functions of proteins?

Support, movement, transport, buffering, metabolic regulation, coordination and control, and defense.

What is the basic structure of an amino acid?

A central carbon atom, a hydrogen atom, an amino group, a carboxyl group, and a variable side chain (R group).

What type of bond forms between two amino acids?

A peptide bond.

What are glycoproteins?

Combinations of proteins and carbohydrates, typically large proteins combined with small carbohydrates.

What two types of nucleic acids store and process information in cells?

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA).

How are the two strands of DNA held together?

By hydrogen bonds between complementary nitrogenous bases.

What is ATP and its function?

Adenosine triphosphate, a high-energy compound that stores energy for cells.

What is the process of phosphorylation?

Adding a phosphate group to another molecule to produce a high-energy bond.