Bio Chapter 3 Study Guide

What is an organic compound?

1. Organic compounds are molecules that primarily contain carbon atoms and usually hydrogen atoms. These compounds are the basis of all known life forms.

What is a functional group?

1. groups that are attached to the carbon and hydrogen framework and give molecules their chemical properties. They are directly involved in chemical reactions. 

What is a monomer?

1. A monomer is a small molecule that can bind chemically to other similar molecules to form a larger molecule known as a polymer. In the context of organic compounds, monomers are the building blocks of polymers. 

What is a polymer?

1. A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units called monomers. Examples: Carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids. 

What is a carbohydrate?

1.  These serve as fuel and building material. Examples include monosaccharides (simple sugars like glucose and fructose), disaccharides (double sugars like maltose and sucrose), and polysaccharides (many monosaccharides joined together like starch, glycogen, cellulose, and chitin)

What is a monosaccharide?

1. Monosaccharides are the simplest form of carbohydrates and serve as fuel and building material in biological systems. They are simple sugars with molecular formulas that are multiples of the unit CH2O. 

What is glycogen?

1. Glycogen is a polysaccharide that serves as the nutrient storage form of carbohydrates in animals. It is composed of many monosaccharides joined together

What is a disaccharide?

1. Disaccharides are a type of carbohydrate formed when two monosaccharides (simple sugars) are joined together by a glycosidic linkage.

What is a polysaccharide?

1. Polysaccharides are complex carbohydrates formed by the linkage of multiple monosaccharides through glycosidic bonds. They serve various functions in living organisms, including energy storage and structural support. 

Give an example of a complex carbohydrate.

1. Complex carbohydrates are polysaccharides, which are long chains of monosaccharides linked together. Starch, Glycogen, Cellulose, Chitin. 

Give an example of a sugar.

1. Monosaccharides, Disaccharides, Polysaccharides 

What is the relationship between sugar, obesity, and type II diabetes?

1. Excessive consumption of sugars, particularly high-fructose corn syrup, can lead to obesity, which is a significant risk factor for developing type II diabetes. The body's ability to manage blood sugar levels becomes impaired, leading to insulin resistance and diabetes. 

Are monosaccharides considered sugars, or complex carbohydrates?

1. Monosaccharides are the simplest form of carbohydrates and are considered sugars. They consist of single sugar molecules and have molecular formulas that are multiples of the unit CH2O.

Are polysaccharides considered sugars, or complex carbohydrates?

1. Polysaccharides are considered complex carbohydrates rather than simple sugars.  Polysaccharides are composed of many monosaccharides (simple sugars) linked together. This extensive linkage forms large, complex molecules.

What is starch?

1. Starch is a type of carbohydrate that serves as the nutrient storage form of carbohydrates in plants. It is composed of many monosaccharides joined together, forming a polysaccharide. Starch is commonly found in foods like potatoes and is used by plants to store energy

What is chitin?

1. Tough carbohydrate that forms the external skeleton of arthropods. 

What is cellulose?

1. ​​A rigid, structural carbohydrate found in the cells walls of many organisms. It is found in the cell wall of plants. It is also called fiber. 

What is a lipid?

1. A group of hydrophobic compounds that do not associate with water. They are generally not large enough to be considered macromolecules. 

What is a fat?

1. Constructed from glycerol and three fatty acid molecules. They are formed by a dehydration reaction, creating an ester linkage between the hydroxyl group of glycerol and the carboxyl group of the fatty acid. Fats are hydrophobic due to their long hydrocarbon chains 

How are saturated and unsaturated fats different? Which is better for your health?

1. Saturated fats: Saturated fats have no double bonds between the carbon atoms in their hydrocarbon chains, which means they are "saturated" with hydrogen atoms. They are solid at room temperature. Examples: Butter, bacon, cheese, milk, and coconut oil. 

2. Unsaturated fats: : Unsaturated fats have one or more double bonds in their hydrocarbon chains, which creates "kinks" in the molecule. These are liquid at room temperature. Examples: Olive oil, canola oil, and fish oil.

3. Unsaturated Fats are generally considered better for your health compared to saturated fats. They can help lower bad cholesterol levels, reduce inflammation, and provide essential fatty acids that the body needs. 

What are trans fats?

1. Trans fats are a type of unsaturated fat that occurs in small amounts in nature but are more commonly created through an industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid.

What is hydrogenation?

1. A chemical reaction where hydrogen is added to an unsaturated compound, typically involving double or triple bonds, to make it saturated

What are steroids and why are they important?

1. Steroids are a class of lipids characterized by a carbon skeleton made up of four fused rings. Examples include hormones like testosterone and estrogen, as well as cholesterol. Many steroids function as hormones, which are crucial for regulating various physiological processes. For instance, testosterone and estrogen play key roles in reproductive systems and secondary sexual characteristics. Cholesterol is also a steroid, it is needed to build hormones. 

What is a phospholipid?

1. A phospholipid is a type of lipid molecule that is a major component of cell membranes. It consists of two fatty acids, a glycerol unit, and a phosphate group. They make up cell membranes. 

What is a protein?

1.  A protein is a biological molecule composed of one or more polypeptides, which are polymers constructed from 20 different amino acids.

What is an amino acid?

1. These are molecules containing both an amino group and a carboxyl group. They link together to form polypeptide chains, which then fold into specific shapes to become functional proteins.

What is a nucleic acid?

1. Nucleic acids are polymers of nucleotides, which are organic molecules essential for all known forms of life. 

What is a nucleotide?

1. A nucleotide is a fundamental building block of nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA. 

What are the two types of nucleic acids?

1. Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA): DNA consists of two strands of nucleotides linked by hydrogen bonds. The rungs consist of bases hydrogen-bonded together, and the outer "rails" of the double helix are composed of sugar and phosphate components of the molecule. 

2. Ribonucleic Acid (RNA): RNA is composed of nucleotides that include a nitrogenous base, a sugar, and a phosphate group. RNA uses ribose as its sugar, whereas DNA uses deoxyribose.  

 What are waxes? 

1. A type of lipid that is composed of a single fatty acid linked to a long-chain alcohol. The have an important “sealing” function in the living world. Example: many birds have wax on their wings to protect them from water.