biotech macros

Organic molecules

Molecules with carbon are organic molecules and molecules that do not contain carbon atoms are called inorganic compounds.
Carbon is important for life because it is a versatile atom, meaning that it has the ability to bind not only with other carbons but also with a number of other elements including nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen
Polymers are chains of building blocks in macromolecules
Monomers are the individual building blocks of a polymer
Polymers are formed through dehydration synthesis (or condensation) reactions. A water molecule is lost in the reaction, and a larger compound is formed.
Hydrolysis is when polymers can also be broken down into monomers.
The water breaks the bond between the two monomers.
Four classes of organic compounds central to life on Earth:
1. carbohydrates
2. proteins
3. lipids
4. nucleic acids

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are organic compounds that contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. They are in a ratio of approximately 1:2:1
Most carbohydrates are categorized as either monosaccharides, disaccharides, or polysaccharides. The term saccharides means “sugar.” The prefixes refer to the number of sugars in the molecule.

Monosaccharides:

It is an energy source for cells.
The two most common sugars are glucose and fructose. Their chemical formula is C6H12O6
Glucose is an important part of the food we eat, and it is the product made by plants during photosynthesis.
Glucose and fructose can be depicted as either “straight” or “rings.” They have OHs and Hs attached to them.

Disaccharides

When two monosaccharides are joined, the bond is called a glycosidic linkage, and the resulting sugar is called a disaccharide. The disaccharide formed from two glucose molecules is maltose.
To break up the disaccharide and form two monosaccharides - Just add water.

Polysaccharides

Polysaccharides are made up of many repeated units of monosaccharides.
They can consist of branched or unbranched chains of monosaccharides. Need to know for the test : starch, cellulose, and glycogen.
Glycogen and starch are sugar storage molecules. Glycogen stores sugar in animals and starch stores sugar in plants.
Cellulose, on the other hand, is made up of β-glucose and is a major part of the cell walls in plants. Its function is to lend structural support.
Chitin, a polymer of β-glucose molecules, serves as a structural molecule in the walls of fungus and in the exoskeletons of arthropods.

Proteins

Proteins are important for structure, function, and regulation of your tissues and organs.
Amino acids are building blocks of proteins. They contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen atoms. There are 20 different amino acids.
Proteins have four important parts around a central carbon:
- An amino group (–NH2), a carboxyl group (–COOH), a hydrogen, and an R-group.
Amino acids differ only in the R-group, which is also called the side chain.
When it comes to spotting an amino acid, look for the amino group (NH2), then look for the carboxyl molecule (COOH).
Side chain polarity affects whether an amino acid is more hydrophobic or more hydrophilic.
The AP Exam divides them into 3 broad categories: hydrophobic (non-polar and uncharged), hydrophilic (polar and uncharged), and ionic (polar and charged).
Of the common amino acids:
- Two (glutamic acid and aspartic acid) donate a proton, making them negatively charged.
- Two (lysine and arginine) accept a proton at physiological pH, which makes them positively charged.
Two contain the atom Sulphur: methionine and cysteine.

Polypeptides

When two amino acids join, they form a dipeptide. The carboxyl group of one amino acid combines with the amino group of another amino acid.
The bond between two amino acids is peptide bond.
If a group of amino acids is joined together in a “string,” the resulting organic compound is called a polypeptide. Once a polypeptide chain twists and folds on itself, it forms a 3D structure called a protein.
The linear sequence of the amino acids is the primary structure of a protein.
When the polypeptide begins to twist it begins forming either a coil (known as an alpha helix) or zigzagging pattern (known as beta-pleated sheets). These are secondary structures.
When the secondary structure reshapes the polypeptide, amino acids that were far away in the primary structure arrangement can now also interact with each other. This is called the tertiary structure.
When different polypeptide chains sometimes interact with each other, they form a quaternary structure. Hemoglobin is a molecule in the blood that helps distribute oxygen to the tissues in the body. It is formed when four separate polypeptide chains interact with each other and is a quaternary structure.

Lipids

This consists of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms.
The most common examples of lipids are triglycerides, phospholipids, and steroids.
Lipids are important due to their non-polar structures, they function as structural components of cell membranes, sources of insulation, signaling molecules, and a means of energy storage.
Our bodies store fat in tissue called, adipose, which is made of cells called adipocytes; these cells are filled with lipids called triglycerides.
Each triglyceride is made of a glycerol molecule (also called the glycerol backbone) with three fatty acid chains attached to it. A fatty acid chain is covered in hydrogen. One end of the chain has a carboxyl group.
A fatty acid can be saturated with hydrogens along its long carbon chain or it can’t be unsaturated. If there is a double bond in the chain it is an unsaturated fatty acid.
Lipid Saturation: The extent of saturation in a lipid can affect its structure and function. The more double bonds that exist within a lipid, the more unsaturated it is.

Phospholipids

Phospholipids contain two fatty acid “tails” and one negatively charged phosphate “head”.
Phospholipids are important because of some unique properties they possess, regards to water.
The two fatty acid tails are hydrophobic. The reason for this is that fatty acid tails are non-polar, and non-polar substances don’t mix well with polar ones, such as water.
The phosphate “head” of the lipid is hydrophilic, meaning that it does mix well with water since it carries a negative charge, and this charge draws it to the positively charged end of a water molecule.
A phospholipid has both a hydrophilic region and a hydrophobic region which makes it is an amphipathic molecule.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a four-ringed molecule that is found in membranes.
It generally increases membrane fluidity, except at very high temperatures. Cholesterol is also important for making certain types of hormones and for making vitamin D.

Nucleic Acids

They contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen and phosphorus. Nucleic acids are molecules that are made up of simple units called nucleotides.
DNA contains the hereditary “blueprints” of all life. RNA is essential for protein synthesis

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Science

AP Biology Unit 1: Chemistry of Life

biotech macros

Organic molecules

Molecules with carbon are organic molecules and molecules that do not contain carbon atoms are called inorganic compounds.
Carbon is important for life because it is a versatile atom, meaning that it has the ability to bind not only with other carbons but also with a number of other elements including nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen
Polymers are chains of building blocks in macromolecules
Monomers are the individual building blocks of a polymer
Polymers are formed through dehydration synthesis (or condensation) reactions. A water molecule is lost in the reaction, and a larger compound is formed.
Hydrolysis is when polymers can also be broken down into monomers.
The water breaks the bond between the two monomers.
Four classes of organic compounds central to life on Earth:
1. carbohydrates
2. proteins
3. lipids
4. nucleic acids

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are organic compounds that contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. They are in a ratio of approximately 1:2:1
Most carbohydrates are categorized as either monosaccharides, disaccharides, or polysaccharides. The term saccharides means “sugar.” The prefixes refer to the number of sugars in the molecule.

Monosaccharides:

It is an energy source for cells.
The two most common sugars are glucose and fructose. Their chemical formula is C6H12O6
Glucose is an important part of the food we eat, and it is the product made by plants during photosynthesis.
Glucose and fructose can be depicted as either “straight” or “rings.” They have OHs and Hs attached to them.

Disaccharides

When two monosaccharides are joined, the bond is called a glycosidic linkage, and the resulting sugar is called a disaccharide. The disaccharide formed from two glucose molecules is maltose.
To break up the disaccharide and form two monosaccharides - Just add water.

Polysaccharides

Polysaccharides are made up of many repeated units of monosaccharides.
They can consist of branched or unbranched chains of monosaccharides. Need to know for the test : starch, cellulose, and glycogen.
Glycogen and starch are sugar storage molecules. Glycogen stores sugar in animals and starch stores sugar in plants.
Cellulose, on the other hand, is made up of β-glucose and is a major part of the cell walls in plants. Its function is to lend structural support.
Chitin, a polymer of β-glucose molecules, serves as a structural molecule in the walls of fungus and in the exoskeletons of arthropods.

Proteins

Proteins are important for structure, function, and regulation of your tissues and organs.
Amino acids are building blocks of proteins. They contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen atoms. There are 20 different amino acids.
Proteins have four important parts around a central carbon:
- An amino group (–NH2), a carboxyl group (–COOH), a hydrogen, and an R-group.
Amino acids differ only in the R-group, which is also called the side chain.
When it comes to spotting an amino acid, look for the amino group (NH2), then look for the carboxyl molecule (COOH).
Side chain polarity affects whether an amino acid is more hydrophobic or more hydrophilic.
The AP Exam divides them into 3 broad categories: hydrophobic (non-polar and uncharged), hydrophilic (polar and uncharged), and ionic (polar and charged).
Of the common amino acids:
- Two (glutamic acid and aspartic acid) donate a proton, making them negatively charged.
- Two (lysine and arginine) accept a proton at physiological pH, which makes them positively charged.
Two contain the atom Sulphur: methionine and cysteine.

Polypeptides

When two amino acids join, they form a dipeptide. The carboxyl group of one amino acid combines with the amino group of another amino acid.
The bond between two amino acids is peptide bond.
If a group of amino acids is joined together in a “string,” the resulting organic compound is called a polypeptide. Once a polypeptide chain twists and folds on itself, it forms a 3D structure called a protein.
The linear sequence of the amino acids is the primary structure of a protein.
When the polypeptide begins to twist it begins forming either a coil (known as an alpha helix) or zigzagging pattern (known as beta-pleated sheets). These are secondary structures.
When the secondary structure reshapes the polypeptide, amino acids that were far away in the primary structure arrangement can now also interact with each other. This is called the tertiary structure.
When different polypeptide chains sometimes interact with each other, they form a quaternary structure. Hemoglobin is a molecule in the blood that helps distribute oxygen to the tissues in the body. It is formed when four separate polypeptide chains interact with each other and is a quaternary structure.

Lipids

This consists of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms.
The most common examples of lipids are triglycerides, phospholipids, and steroids.
Lipids are important due to their non-polar structures, they function as structural components of cell membranes, sources of insulation, signaling molecules, and a means of energy storage.
Our bodies store fat in tissue called, adipose, which is made of cells called adipocytes; these cells are filled with lipids called triglycerides.
Each triglyceride is made of a glycerol molecule (also called the glycerol backbone) with three fatty acid chains attached to it. A fatty acid chain is covered in hydrogen. One end of the chain has a carboxyl group.
A fatty acid can be saturated with hydrogens along its long carbon chain or it can’t be unsaturated. If there is a double bond in the chain it is an unsaturated fatty acid.
Lipid Saturation: The extent of saturation in a lipid can affect its structure and function. The more double bonds that exist within a lipid, the more unsaturated it is.

Phospholipids

Phospholipids contain two fatty acid “tails” and one negatively charged phosphate “head”.
Phospholipids are important because of some unique properties they possess, regards to water.
The two fatty acid tails are hydrophobic. The reason for this is that fatty acid tails are non-polar, and non-polar substances don’t mix well with polar ones, such as water.
The phosphate “head” of the lipid is hydrophilic, meaning that it does mix well with water since it carries a negative charge, and this charge draws it to the positively charged end of a water molecule.
A phospholipid has both a hydrophilic region and a hydrophobic region which makes it is an amphipathic molecule.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a four-ringed molecule that is found in membranes.
It generally increases membrane fluidity, except at very high temperatures. Cholesterol is also important for making certain types of hormones and for making vitamin D.

Nucleic Acids

They contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen and phosphorus. Nucleic acids are molecules that are made up of simple units called nucleotides.
DNA contains the hereditary “blueprints” of all life. RNA is essential for protein synthesis