Botany Lab Midterms

• Individual chemicals from which plants are made

  Plant constituents
• Active Constituents are responsible for the therapeutic activity
• What is the focus of phytochemistry?

  It deals with processes associated with plant life and chemical compounds produced by plants.
• What are phytochemicals?


  They are organic compounds biosynthesized by plants using various metabolic pathways.
• Do not possess any definite therapeutic value is inactive constituents
• What are the two types of constituents in phytochemistry?

  Active constituents and inactive constituents.
• What is the difference between primary and secondary metabolites?

  Primary metabolites are essential for the plant's life, while secondary metabolites generally possess therapeutic activity.
• What are the four main types of primary metabolites?


  Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.
• What are carbohydrates primarily used for in plants?

  They are used for storage and transport of energy and cell wall synthesis.
• What are the three classifications of carbohydrates?


  • Monosaccharides
  • Oligosaccharides
  • Polysaccharides
• What are monosaccharides?


  They are the simplest sugar molecules that are crystalline and water soluble.
• How are monosaccharides classified?


  They are classified according to the number of carbon atoms and the presence of a carbonyl group.
• Give examples of aldose and ketose monosaccharides.

  Aldose: glucose, galactose; Ketose: fructose.
• What are oligosaccharides?


  They are formed from 2-10 monosaccharide units linked by glycosidic bonds and can be hydrolyzed.
• What are the two types of oligosaccharides?


  Reducing and non-reducing sugars.
• What distinguishes reducing sugars from non-reducing sugars?


  Reducing sugars can act as reducing agents due to free aldehyde or ketone groups, while non-reducing sugars cannot.
• What is an example of a non-reducing sugar?

  Sucrose.
• What are polysaccharides characterized by?

  They are high molecular weight polymers that do not have a sweet taste and are insoluble in water.
• What are the two categories of polysaccharides?


  • Homoglycans: made up of the same sugar molecules (e.g., starch, cellulose)
  • Heteroglycans: made up of sugar molecules and non-sugar moieties (e.g., gum, mucilage, pectin)
• What are lipids primarily composed of?


  They are esters of fatty acids and alcohols or polyols.
• What are the two main types of lipids?


  Simple lipids and compound lipids.
• What are fatty acids?


  They are long-chain carboxylic acids that can be saturated or unsaturated.
• What distinguishes fats from oils?


  Fats are solid or semisolid at room temperature, while oils are liquid.
• What are waxes?


  They are esters of fatty acids with long-chain monohydric alcohols, mostly found in leaves and fruits.
• What are phospholipids?


  They are the main constituents of cell membranes.
• What are proteins made up of?


  They are organic compounds made up of amino acids.
• What are the three classifications of amino acids?


  Essential, non-essential, and conditionally essential.
• What role do proteins play in plants?


  They play various enzymatic, structural, and functional roles, including energy storage.
• What are the two types of proteins?


  • Simple proteins: composed of amino acids (e.g., globulins, histones)
  • Conjugate proteins: amino acids + other structural elements (e.g., glycoproteins)
• What are some sources of plant proteins?


  Soybeans, white beans, pumpkin seeds, and chia.
• What are nucleic acids?


  They are major components of chromosomes in cells.
• What do nucleic acids yield upon hydrolysis?


  Inorganic phosphate, 2-deoxyribose or ribose, and heterocyclic bases.
• What are the two types of heterocyclic bases in nucleic acids?

  Purines (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidines (thymine, cytosine, uracil).
• What are plant sources of nucleic acids?

  Vegetables and nuts.
• What are alkaloids derived from?


  Amino acids
• What is the pharmacologic action of alkaloids at small doses?


  They can elicit prominent pharmacologic action
• Name a few examples of solid alkaloids.


  Quinine, emetine, and atropine
• What is a liquid alkaloid?


  Coniine
• What colors can some alkaloids take?


  Yellow (berberine) and red (betain)
• What cosmetic purpose did ladies during the Renaissance use atropine for?


  To make their eyes look bigger