Biological Macromolecules Review

Flashcards to review key concepts about biological macromolecules, including carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids.

What elements are Carbohydrates comprised of?

C, H, and O

What is the most common monosaccharide?

Glucose

What is the role of glucose in cells?

Nutrient and fuel

What is a disaccharide?

Two monosaccharides joined together by covalent bonds

What monosaccharides make up sucrose?

Glucose and fructose

How do plants transfer carbohydrates from roots to leaves?

In the form of sucrose

What do plants use to store excess glucose?

Starch (polymer of glucose monomers)

What do animals use to store glucose?

Glycogen (polymer of glucose)

Where in an animal is glycogen stored?

Liver and muscle cells

What structural polysaccharide forms plant cell walls?

Cellulose

What structural polysaccharide forms the exoskeleton of arthropods?

Chitin

What elements are proteins comprised of?

C, H, O, N, and S

What two groups are found in amino acids?

Amino group and a carboxyl group

How many different amino acids are there?

20

What determines the unique aspects of an amino acid?

Side chain's physical and chemical properties

What are the three groups that amino acid side chains can be categorized as?

Nonpolar (hydrophobic), polar (hydrophilic), and charged/ionic (hydrophilic)

What is a polypeptide?

Many amino acids linked by peptide bonds

What determines the 3D shape of proteins?

The sequence of amino acids

List five functions of proteins

Antibody, enzyme, messenger, structural, transport/storage

What determines the primary structure of a protein?

Genes

What causes the coils and folds in the secondary structure of a protein?

Hydrogen bonding within the polypeptide backbone

What reinforces the tertiary structure of a protein?

Hydrophobic interactions and disulfide bridges of the side chains

What are the two forms of nucleic acids?

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and Ribonucleic acid (RNA)

What three components make up a nucleotide?

Nitrogenous base, five carbon sugar (pentose), and phosphate group(s)

What are the two types of nitrogenous bases?

Pyrimidines and purines

Name the pyrimidines

Cytosine, Thymine, and Uracil

Name the purines

Adenine and Guanine

What sugar is found in DNA?

Deoxyribose

What sugar is found in RNA?

Ribose

What type of linkage do phosphate groups use to link adjacent nucleotides in polynucleotides?

Phosphodiester linkage