Biochemistry Review Flashcards

These flashcards provide a summary of key concepts and vocabulary related to biochemistry, focusing on carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids.

Carbon's versatility

The ability of carbon atoms to form a variety of bonds and compounds due to their electron configuration.

Functional groups

Components of organic molecules that are commonly involved in chemical reactions, affecting a molecule's properties.

Monomer

A small building block molecule that can link together to form polymers.

Polymer

A long molecule consisting of many similar building blocks (monomers).

Monosaccharides

Simple sugars that serve as monomers for carbohydrates, such as glucose, fructose, and galactose.

Polysaccharides

Long chains of monosaccharides linked by glycosidic bonds, serving as energy storage or structural components.

Amino acids

The monomers that make up proteins, linked by peptide bonds.

Polypeptides

Polymers formed by linking amino acids together, which fold into functional proteins.

Triglycerides

Polymers made from three fatty acid molecules bonded to a glycerol backbone, serving as energy storage.

Nucleotides

The monomers of nucleic acids, composed of sugar, phosphate, and nitrogenous base.

Quaternary structure

The fourth level of protein structure arising from interactions between multiple polypeptide chains.

Glycosidic bonds

The type of covalent bond that links monosaccharides in carbohydrates.

Cellulose

A structural polysaccharide made of linear chains of beta-D-glucose, providing rigidity in plant cell walls.

Chitin

A structural polysaccharide made from N-acetylglucosamine, found in the exoskeletons of arthropods and fungal cell walls.

Inulin

A storage polysaccharide made primarily of fructose, with prebiotic effects, found in certain plants.