Organic Compounds and Macromolecules

Vocabulary flashcards covering organic compounds, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, and chemical indicator tests based on the lecture notes.

Organic Compound

Any compound or molecule that contains the element Carbon.

Polymer

A large molecule formed when smaller molecules bond together.

Monomer

Small molecules that serve as building blocks to make up a polymer.

Carbohydrate

An organic compound composed of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen in a $1:2:1$ ratio (C:H:O) that provides short-term energy.

Monosaccharide

A simple single-sugar molecule, such as Glucose or Fructose, that serves as the monomer for carbohydrates.

Disaccharide

A carbohydrate formed by two sugars (monosaccharides) linked together, such as Sucrose (table sugar).

Polysaccharide

A carbohydrate made of many sugars linked together, such as Glycogen, Cellulose, and Starch.

Glycogen

A polysaccharide form in which mammals store energy in the liver and muscles.

Cellulose

A polysaccharide that makes up the cell walls of plants and gives them their shape.

Starch

A polysaccharide form in which plants store energy.

Starch Test

A test using yellow Iodine, where the solution turns blue/black if starch is present and stays yellow if no starch is present.

Sugar Test

A test mixing Benedict's solution with a heated mixture, where the solution turns red if sugar is present and stays blue if no sugar is present.

Lipid

An organic molecule made of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen (monomer: $1$ glycerol and $3$ fatty acids) that does not dissolve in water and functions in long-term energy storage, insulation, and protective coverings.

Lipid Test

A test where a drop of lipid placed on brown paper is absorbed and leaves an oily spot.

Protein

An organic compound made of Hydrogen, Oxygen, Carbon, and Nitrogen that provides structure for tissues and organs and carries out metabolism.

Amino Acid

The monomer of proteins; there are $20$ amino acids that link together by peptide bonds to assemble various proteins.

Nucleic Acid

An organic molecule made of Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus that stores cellular genetic information in the form of a code, such as DNA and RNA.

Nucleotide

The monomer of nucleic acids, composed of three parts: a simple sugar (deoxyribose), a phosphate group, and a nitrogen base.

Biuret Solution

The chemical reagent used in testing for the presence of protein.