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Biology
Undergraduate 1
09/10/2012

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Term
Classes of large biological molecules
Definition
Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids
Term
Macromolecules
Definition
large molecules composed of thousands of covalently connected atoms
(structure and function are inseparable)
Term
Polymer
Definition
a long molecule consisting of many similar building blocks
(Proteins, nucleic acid, carbohydrates are polymers)
Term
Monomers
Definition
Building block molecules that polymers are made of
Term
Condensation reaction (dehydration reaction)
Definition
When two monomers bond together through the loss of a water molecule
Term
Enzymes
Definition
macromolecules that speed up the dehydration process
Term
Carbohydrates
Definition
Sugars and the polymers of sugars
Term
Monosaccharides
Definition
Simple carbohydrates
Single sugars
Usually multiples of CH2O
Classified by:
Location of carbonyl group
Number of carbons in the carbon skeleton

Serve as major fuel for cells and as raw material for building molecules
Term
Polysaccharides
Definition
carbohydrate macromolecules
composed of many monosaccharides
Term
Glucose
Definition
(C6H12O6) Most common monosaccharide
Term
Disaccharide
Definition
formed when a dehydration reaction joins two monosaccharides
Term
Glycosidic linkage
Definition
Covalent bond formed via dehydration reaction between two monosaccharides
Term
Starch
Definition
a storage of polysaccharide of plants
consists entirely of glucose monomers
Plants store surplus starch as granules within chloroplasts and other plastids
Term
Glycogen
Definition
Polysaccharide storage in animals
Stored mainly in liver and muscle cells
Term
Cellulose
Definition
Polysaccharide that is a major component of the tough wall of plant cells
Polymer of glucose, though glycosidic linkages differ
Difference is alpha and beta rings
Polymers with alpha glucose are helical while those with beta glucose are straight
Term
Chitin
Definition
Structural polysaccharide in the exoskeleton of arthropods
Also provides structural support for the cell walls of many fungi
Term
Lipids
Definition
The one class of large biological molecules that do not form polymers
Have little to no affinity with water, due to their lack of polarity
Hydrophobic due to their hydrocarbons, which form non polar covalent bonds
Most important lipids are fats, phospholipids, and steroids
Term
Fats
Definition
Constructed of glycerol and fatty acids
Three fatty acids are joined with glycerol by an ester linkage, creating a triglyceride
Term
Glycerol
Definition
A three-carbon alcohol with a hydroxyl group attached to each carbon
Term
Fatty Acids
Definition
A carboxyl group attached to a long carbon skeleton
Term
Saturated Fatty acids
Definition
Have the maximum number of hydrogen atoms possible and no double bonds
Solid at room temperature
Term
Unsaturated fatty acids
Definition
one or more double bonds
fluid at room temperature
Term
Phospholipids
Definition
Two fatty acids and a phosphate group attached to glycerol
Fatty acid tails are hydrophobic, while the phosphate head is hydrophilic
When added to water, form a bi-layer, with the tails inward and the heads outward
Form cell membranes
Term
Steroids
Definition
Lipids characterized by a carbon skeleton consisting of four fused rings
Term
Cholesterol
Definition
A steroid, a component in animal cell membranes
Term
Enzymatic proteins
Definition
Selective acceleration of chemical reactions
Ex: Digestive enzymes
Term
Structural Proteins
Definition
Function:Support
Ex: Silk fibers, collagen and elastin, keratin
Term
Storage Proteins
Definition
Function: Storage of amino acids
Ex: Ovalbumin in egg white, protein of milk, storage proteins in plant seeds
Term
Transport Proteins
Definition
Function: Transport of other substances
Ex: Hemoglobin
Term
Hormonal proteins
Definition
Function: coordination of organism's activities
Ex: Insulin
Term
Receptor Proteins
Definition
Function: Response of cell to chemical stimuli
Ex: receptors in nerve cells
Term
Defensive proteins
Definition
function: protection against disease
Ex: Antibodies combat bacteria and viruses
Term
Enzymes
Definition
A type of protein that acts as a catalyst to speed up chemical reactions
Term
Polypeptides
Definition
Polymers built from the same set of 20 amino acids
Term
Amino acid
Definition
organic molecules with carboxyl and amino groups
Differ in properties due to R groups
Term
Amino acid polymers
Definition
Linked by peptide bonds
Polymer of amino acids
Vary greatly in length
Term
Proteins Primary Structure
Definition
Unique sequence of amino acids
Term
Secondary Structure
Definition
Consists of coils and folds in the polypeptide chain
Term
Protein Tertiary Structure
Definition
Determined by interactions among various side chains
Term
Protein Quaternary Structure
Definition
Results when a protein consists of multiple polypeptide chains
Term
Denaturation
Definition
Loss of a proteins native structure due to changes in environment
Term
Chaperonins
Definition
Protein molecules that assist in the proper folding of other proteins
Term
Disulfide Bridges
Definition
Strong covalent bonds that sometimes reinforce a protein's structure
Term
X-Ray Crystallography
Definition
A method used by scientists to better determine a protein's structure. A beam of x-rays strikes a crystal and causes a beam of light to spread in many specific directions. A sensor then builds 3D images from the xrays it picks up
Term
Gene
Definition
A unit of inheritance in which the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide is stored
Term
Nucleic Acid
Definition
DNA or RNA
Term
DNA
Definition
Deoxyribonucleic acid
Provides directions for its own replication
Directs synthesis of messenger RNA (mRNA), controls protein synthesis (Which occurs in ribosomes)
In the shape of a double helix
Two strands are antiparallel
Term
RNA
Definition
Ribonucleic acid
Carries messages, etc for DNA
Term
Polynucleotides
Definition
Polymers of nucleotides, the building block for nucleic acids
Term
Nucleotides
Definition
Monomers used to build polynucleotides
Made of a nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar, and a phosphate group
Term
Nucleoside
Definition
Part of the nucleic acid without the phosphate group
Term
Pyrimidines
Definition
A family of nitrogenous base found in nucleic acids
(Cytosine, thymine, and uracil)
Have a single six-membered ring
Term
Purines
Definition
A family of nitrogenous base in nucleic acids
(adenine and guanine)
SIx member ring fused to a five-membered ring
Term
Deoxyribose
Definition
The sugar used in DNA
Term
Ribose
Definition
Sugar used in RNA
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