AP Biology Unit 1 Chemistry of Life

Vocab and Notes from Unit 1 of AP Biology, Chemistry of LIfe.

Monomers

The building blocks of polymers.

Dehydration Synthesis

One monomer forms a covalent bond to another monomer and releases a water molecule.

Hydrolysis

A bond is broken by adding a water molecule (one molecule gains “H” and the other gains “OH”

Composition of Carbs

carbon, hydrogen, oxygen

Monosaccharaide

The building block/monomer of carbohydrates.

Simple sugar, contain 3-7 carbon atoms (ex. glucose, fructose galactose, all are isomers of each other (differ in organization of their atoms)).

Disaccharide

Form when two monosaccharides bond via dehydration synthesis (ex lactose, maltose, sucrose)

Polysaccharide

Long chains of monosaccharides linked by glycosidic bonds (the chain may be branched or linear)

ex. starch, glycogen, cellulose, chitin

Starch

stored form of sugars in plants

Glycogen

storage form of glucose in humans

Primary Structure of Proteins

sequence of amino acids

Secondary Structure of Proteins

This structure refers to local folded structures that form within a polypeptide due to interactions between atoms of the backbone. (The backbone just refers to the polypeptide chain apart from the R groups – so all we mean here is that secondary structure does not involve R group atoms.)

The most common types beta plates and alpha helices, which are held in shape by hydrogen bonds.

Tertiary Protein Structure

This is due to interactions of side chains. It is the overall 3D shape of the protein and often minimalizes free energy. Various types of bonds and interactions stabilize the protein at this level. Most proteins become functional at this level.

Quaternary Protein Structure

(more than one polypeptide), arises from the interactions of multiple polypeptide units. Some proteins aren’t functional until this stage, such as hemoglobin.

Nucleotides

Building blocks/monomers of nucleic acids.

Amino Acids

Building block/monomers of proteins

Fatty acids or glycerol

building blocks of lipids (not really monomers)

Function of carbohydrates

Quick/short term energy, source of dietary fiber

Function of Lipids

long-term energy, make up biological membranes (phospholipids)

Proteins

Provide cell structure, send chemical signals, speed up chemical reactions (enxymes), C

CHNOPS in Proteins

Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulfur, (only sometimes phosphorus)

CHNOPS in Nucleic Acids

Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus, not Sulfur

CHNOPS in Carbs

Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen (ratio 1:2:1)

CHNOPS in Lipids

Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, sometimes phosphorus.

Hydroxyl group

OH (polar)

Carboxyl Group

COOH (acidic)

Methyl Group

CH3 (nonpolar)

Carbonyl Group

CO (double bond) (polar)

Sulfhydryl Group

SH (polar)

Amino

NH2 (basic)

Polypeptide

a continuous, unbranched chain of amino acids joined by peptide bonds.

Amino Acid

Consists of an amino (NH2) and a carboxyl (COOH) and an R group which dictates its’ polarity and properties (size and structure). A protein is synthesized at the Carboxyl terminus.

R-Group CH3

Hydrophobic, nonpolar

R-Group CH2-OH

Hydrophilic, polar

R-Group CH2-COOH

Ionic, polar

Nucleic Acid Makeup

5-carbon sugar, phosphate group, nitrogenous base.

Ribose

The sugar in RNA

Deoxyribose

The sugar in DNA

AGCT

Nitrogenous bases of DNA

AGCU

Nitrogenous bases of RNA

Glycosidic Bond

is a type of ether bond that joins a carbohydrate molecule to another group, which may or may not be another carbohydrate.

Structure of DNA

Antiparallel, double helix, runs 5’ to 3’ one one side and 3’ to 5’ on the other.

Structure of RNA

Single strand

2 hydrogen bonds

There are BLANK holding together Adenine and Thymine in DNA.

3 hydrogen bonds

There are BLANK holding together Guanine and Cytosine in DNA.