An ==organic compound== is a compound containing carbon
On the molecular scale, members of three of these classes-- carbohydrates, proteins, and nucleic acids-- are huge and are therefore called ==macromolecules==
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Molecules consisting of only carbon and hydrogen are called ==hydrocarbons==
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The above photos are known as ==Functional Groups. A functional== group affects the molecular function by being directly involved in chemical reactions
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ATP is known as ==adenosine triphosphate==, this is a more complicated organic phosphate
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This is converter into ==ADP==, known as ==Adenosine Diphosphate== by way of ==hydration== (adding water to a compound)
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A ==polymer== is a long molecule consisting of many similar or identical building blocks linked by covalent bonds
A ==monomer== is the building block that creates a polymer
The chemical mechanism by which cells make polymers (polymerization) and break them down is similar for all classes of large biological molecules.
==Enzymes== are specialized macromolecules(usually proteins) that speed up chemical reactions
A ==dehydration reaction== is when a water molecule is lost during a chemical reaction.
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a ==hydrolysis== reaction disassembles a polymer into monomers through hydrolysis
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Monosaccharides generally have molecular formulas that are some multiples of the unit CH2O.
A disaccharide consists of two monosaccharides joined by a glycosidic linkage
==Polysaccharides== are macromolecules, polymers with a few hundred to a few thousand monosaccharides joined by glycosidic linkages
==Starch== is stored in plant cells
==Glycogen== is stored in muscle cells
==Structural cellulose== fibers in plant cell walls are composed entirely of glucose monomers
<<Note how in the above image these monomers are joined together by way of dehydration<<
Compounds called ==lipids== are grouped together because of their behaviour, they all mix poorly with water if at all. The hydrophobic behaviour of lipids is based on their molecular structure (these are nonpolar compounds.)
Lipids normally are hydrocarbons however some have polar bonds with oxygen
Fats are not polymers, they are large molecules assembled by ==dehydration== reactions
Fats consist of a glycerol molecule joined to three fatty acids
A fatty acid has a long carbon skeleton of usually 16-18 carbon atoms in length
==C-H== bonds in a hydrocarbon atom are non-polar and are the reason these structures are hydrophobic
The link between glycerol and a fatty acid is called an ==ester linkage== (it is formed through dehydration)
When there are no double bonds between carbons on a carbon skeleton the compound is said to be ==saturated==
An ==unsaturated== compound is formed when there are double bonds between carbons
The phrase “hydrogen vegetable oils” on a food label means that unsaturated fats have been synthetically converted to saturated fats by adding a hydrogen atom, removing the double bond, and allowing it to solidify.
A phospholipid is similar to a fat molecule but only has two fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule
A phospholipid has a polar (hydrophilic) head and two nonpolar (hydrophobic) tails
==Steroids== are lipids characterized by a carbon skeleton consisting of four fused rings
==Cholesterol== is a crucial steroid stored in animals
==Peptide bonds== are bonds between amino acids
A ==polypeptide== is a polymer of amino acids
A ==protein== is a biologically functioning molecule made up of one or more polypeptides folded and failed in a specific three-dimensional shape
An amino acid is an organic molecule that both an amino group and a carboxyl group have
Enzymatic proteins - Selective acceleration of chemical reactions
Defensive proteins - Protection against disease
Storage proteins - Storage of amino acids
Transport proteins - Transport of substances
Hormonal proteins - Coordination of an organism's activities
Receptor proteins - Response of cell to chemical stimuli
Contractile and Motor proteins - Movement
Structural proteins - Support
There are a total of ==20== amino acids making up proteins in the human body but there are over 500 amino acids
Because the side chains in ==amino acids== are charged they are ==hydrophilic==
A polypeptide chain is formed through dehydration
The primary structure of proteins is the order of its amino acids
Alpha helixes and Beta folds are known as the secondary structure
Secondary structures involve interactions between backbone constituents
Covalent bonds called ==disulfide bridges== further reinforce the shape of a protein
A quaternary structure is the overall protein structure that results from the aggression of these polypeptides subunits
Even a slight change in a primary structure can affect a protein’s structure and function
A ==gene== is known as a discrete unit of inheritance that controls the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide
==Nucleic acids== are polymers made of monomers called nucleotides
==DNA== - Deoxyribolnucleic Acid
==RNA== - Ribonucleic Acid
DNA directs RNA synthesis and, through RNA, controls protein synthesis; this is known as ==gene expression==
Nucleic acids are macromolecules that exist as polymers called ==polynucleotides==
A portion of a nucleotide without a phosphate group is called a ==nucleoside==
A ==pyrimidine== has one-six membered ring of carbon and nitrogen atoms
==Purines== are larger, with a six-membered ring fused to a five-membered
ring.
Two examples of sugars are
DNA molecules have two polynucleotides or strands which wind around an imaginary axis forming a double helix