| Question |
Answer |
| organic molecule | molecule containing both carbon and hydrogen ex. CH4; C6H12O6 (glucose) |
| inorganic molecule | molecule not containing both carbon and hydrogen (could have one or the other or neither but NOT both) ex. NaCl, H2O, CO2 |
| 4 major organic macromolecules | proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, lipids |
| proteins: structure | long, complex chains of amino acids (20 kinds) (most abundant organic components of microbes) |
| basic amino acid structure | amino group, side group, and carboxyl group |
| dehydration synthesis | how to make a protein from amino acids; process by which macromolecules are put together from their smaller molecules (units) |
| 4 levels of protein structure | 1.primary structure-amino acid sequence 2. secondary structure- regional folding of sections of the protein; 2 possible motifs, alpha helix (coils) & beta-pleated sheets ("accordion folds") 3. tertiary structure- overall folding of the protein |
| 4 levels of protein structure (cont'd) | 4. quaternary structure- protein is made of 2 or more polypeptide units (chain of amino acids) ex. hemoglobin |
| the 2 macromolecules, if altered, could seriously harm an organism | proteins and nucleic acids |
| denaturation | destroying the structure of a molecule by too much heat etc. (structure dictates function, destroy the structure, destroy the function; may result in death of the organism) |
| proteins: function | structure, transport, enzyme, receptor, exotoxins, "communication", (hormone, storage) |
| nucleic acids: structure | structure: composed of long chains of nucleotides |
| nucleic acids: function | DNA: genetic material that makes up the chromosome; RNA: functions in the construction of proteins from the "instructions" present in the code of the DNA |
| carbohydrates: structure | composed of simple sugars either alone or linked together into complex molecules; monosaccharides, disaccharides, polysaccharides |
| monosaccharides | simplest carbs, the building blocks ex. glucsoe, fructose |
| disaccharides | double sugars (2 sugars bonded together) ex. sucrose= 1 glucose + 1 fructose |
| polysaccharides | complex sugars; long chains of sugars ex. starch, cellulose, chitin |
| carbohydrates: function | energy for cells; found in several cellular structures such as bacterial capsules and cellulose cell walls |
| lipids:structure and function | varied group of compounds sharing the characteristic of dissolving in organic (nonpolar) solvents (alcohol, acetone, benzene) but not in water |
| simple lipids | (fats) serve as an energy storage source; made up of glycerol and up to three long-chain fatty acids |
| complex lipids | (waxes, phospholipids, steroids) have other elements (such as nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur) as part of the structure or (as in the case of steroids) have a complex carbon ring structure; may comprise components of the cell membrane of most microbes |
| general formula of a carbohydrate | (CH2O)N |
Biology Lab Midterm
