Biomolecules

C, H, O

3 molecules that make up the majority of our body

organic chemistry

the study of compounds containing carbon

carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids

what are the 4 carbon compounds of interest to us

macromolecules

very large organic molecules, lots of carbon, mostly C, H, and O, many monomer subunits form a polymer chain

dehydration synthesis

monomer + monomer = polymer; products = water + polymer

hydrolysis

polymer = monomer + monomer

metabolism

anabolism + catabolism; all chemical reactions of the body

anabolism

energy-storing reactions; builds polymers from monomers

catabolism

energy-releasing actions; breaks polymers into monomers

(CH₂O)n

general carbohydrate formula

monosaccharides

monomers of carbohydrates

5

how many carbons do ribose and deoxyribose have

disaccharides

sucrose, lactose, and maltose are examples of what

polysaccharides

glycogen, starch, and cellulose are examples of what (all 3 are chains of glucose monomers)

glycogen

energy storage in animals; important in liver and skeletal muscle

starch

energy storage in plants

cellulose

only in plants; important for humans as dietary fiber (indigestible)

hydrophobic

are lipids hydrophilic or hydrophobic

fatty acids

monomer of lipids

hydrophobic

water fearing; don’t mix with water

hydrophilic

water-loving

lipids

triglycerides, phospholipids, and steroids are the primary types of what macromolecule in humans

more efficient

all lipids, especially triglycerides, are important energy storage molecules and are a ____ _________ way to store energy than carbohydrates

saturated fats

unhealthy, solid at room temp, animal fats (butter), single bond allows for molecules to be close together and create a solid form, all Cs have 2 Hs off each of them (saturated by Hs)

unsaturated cis fats

liquid at room temp (olive oil), double bond (H atoms same side) prevents molecules from being packed together, creating a liquid form, can’t add another hydrogen to double bond

unsaturated trans fats

change structure at high temp, not naturally occurring (made in a lab by adding Hs), hard for our bodies to break down and use, double bond

triglycerides

3 fatty acids linked to a glycerol backbone, primarily function as energy storage

phospholipids

glycerol + 2 fatty acid chains + phosphate group, structural foundation of plasma membrane, amphipathic

amphipathic

two ends, one is hydrophobic and one is hydrophilic

hydrophilic

are the heads of phospholipids hydrophilic or hydrophobic

steroids

4 rings with short tail, cholesterol is the “parent” and is an important structural component of cell membranes

true

true or false? all cells in your body are lined by phospholipids

true

true or false? steroids are amphipathic

cholesterol

all other steroids are made from what “parent” steroid

amino acid

monomer of proteins

20

how many amino acids are used to make all proteins

R group

all proteins are similar in structure except for their _ _____

peptide bond

when 2 amino acids bond together, they do so through what kind of bond

4

how many levels of protein structure are there

primary structure

sequence of amino acids joined by peptide bonds

secondary structure

alpha helix or beta sheet formed by hydrogen bonding

tertiary structure

folding and coiling due to interactions among R groups and between R groups and surrounding water

quaternary structure

association of two or more polypeptide chains with each other

denaturation

extreme change in shape that destroys function of proteins (only primary structure remains); due to extreme heat or pH

protein functions

structure, communication, recognition and protection, membrane transport

structure

one function of proteins; keratin and collagen, collagen is one of the most widespread proteins in the body, makes up connective tissues

communication

one function of proteins; cell-to-cell signaling molecules, also used as messenger molecules

recognition and protection

one function of proteins; antibodies are proteins that will recognize an invading virus/bacteria/parasite and attack it, structure-function relationship is vital for this to happen

membrane transport

one function of proteins; membrane proteins govern what passes into/out of cells

enzymes

type of protein that speeds up chemical reactions (catalysts) and lowers activation energy (makes reactions more efficient)

activation energy

amount of energy needed to start a reaction

true

true or false? enzymes can be used repeatedly and are highly specific in structure

enzyme mechanism

substrate binds to active site on enzyme, enzyme-substrate complex formed, enzyme releases products (process repeats)

substrate

whatever we’re trying to change in a catalytic reaction (break apart or put together)

active site

same shape as the substrate to allow binding to anzyme

conformation

during step 2 in the enzyme mechanism, the active site of the enzyme changes shape/____________ and the arms fold in around the substrate