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Class Notes Biomolecules

Terms in this set (43)

99% of organisms are composed of?
CHON + Ca P
Simplest organic molecules?
hydrocarbons that consist of only C and H atoms
Hydrocarbons
only C and H atoms
hydrophobic molecules
nonpolar
structural diversity
Four major classes of biomolecules
1. carbohydrate
2. lipid
3. protein
4. nucleotide/nucleic acid
carbohydrate
primarily carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, in the approx. formula: CH2O
monosaccharide
simple sugar
C6H12O6

glucose
fructose
galactose
Disaccharide
two monosaccharides bonded together
sucrose
Polysaccharide
chain of monosaccharides (usually glucose)
starch, glycogen, cellulose
Lipid
contains high proportion of carbon and hydrogen.
Most are nonpolar and insoluble in water
Triglyceride
lipids
three fatty acids bonded to glycerol
oil, fat
Wax
lipids
variable numbers of fatty acids bonded to a long-chain alcohol
Phospholipid
lipids
polar phosphate group and two fatty acids bonded to glycerol
*in cell membrane
Steroids
lipids
four fused rings of carbon atoms with functional group attached
Protein
consists of 1 or more chains of amino acids.
may have up to four levels of structure that determine it's function
peptide: short chain of amino acids
polypeptide: long chain of amino acid
Nucleotide/Nucleic acid
nucleotide: composed of a 5 carbon sugar,nitrogen containing base, and a phosphate group

nucleic acid: a polymer of nucleotide subunits joined by covalent bonds between their phosphate and sugar groups
macromolecules
extremely large molecules, most are polymers constructed of monomers
monomers
the building block molecules of a polymer
polymer
large molecules made up of monomers covalently linked together

the monomers used can be the same (homopolymers) or different (heteropolymers)
Dehydration synthesis
remove OH2
condensation reaction
Hydrolysis
Add OH2
hydrolytic reaction
Functions of carbohydrates?
Energy storage
Fuel molecules
Structural support
molecular recognition
Many monosaccharides are linked together by...
glycosidic bonds
Fatty Acids
compounds with hydrophilic carboxyl group and an unbranched, hydrophobic hydrocarbon chain
can be both saturated and unsaturated (contributes to fluidity of the molecule)
Myristic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid are all?
Commonly encountered fatty acids
Amphipathic molecules
have both polar regions and non polar regions
Functions of lipids
energy storage and as fuel molecules
membrane formation
communication
cholesterol
protection of organs
thermal insulation
How many common amino acids are there?
20
Synonym for R group in amino acids?
Side chains
4 Groups of amino acids based on the chemical nature of their R group?
Nonpolar, polar, acidic, basic
Essential amino acids
cannot be made and therefore required in diet
translation
the synthesis of a protein in a cell using ribosomes, transfer RNA, messenger RNAs, and amino acids
Functions of Proteins
1. Structural-Keratin (forms hair, nails, etc.)
2. Movement-Actin and Myosin (found in muscle cells)
3. Defense-Antibodies (in bloodstream)
4. Storage- Albumin (in egg white, embryo nutrition)
5. Signaling- Insulin (pancreas, promotes glucose uptake)
6.Catalyzing reactions-amylase (found in saliva,digests carbohydrates)
Primary protein structure
linear sequence of amino acids
has distinct amino N-terminus and carboxyl C-terminus
built in N -> C direction
Secondary protein structure
alpha-helices and Beta-pleated sheets are used
stabilized with hydrogen bonds
Tertiary protein structure
the overall bending and folding of a polypeptide chain
3D shape
Hydrogen bonds, Ionic bonds, and hydrophobic interactions
Quaternary structure
association of more than 1 polypeptide chain to form intact protein
ex: hemoglobin (carries O2 in blood)
Hemoglobin
Carries O2 in blood
composed of 2 alpha chains and 2 beta chains
*protein
changes in heat, ionic strength, and pH can all affect proteins how?
Denaturation
Nucleic acids
include nucleotides and polynucleotides
2 types
Functions of nucleic acids
*information storage and retrieval
storage of DNA (genetic makeup)
used to encode RNA (transcription)
*carriers of chemical energy
*communication-cell signalling
ATP and Adenosine triphosphate are used for what?
nucleotides used universally to carry chemical energy
Nucleotides are constructed from?
5 Carbon carbohydrate (pentose)
ribose or 2-deoxyribose
Nitrogen base
purine or pyrimidine nitrogenous base
Phosphate group (1 or more)
B-DNA
double right handed helix
two strands are antiparallel
complementary base-pairing
Negatively charged (because of multiple phosphate groups)
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