A - level Biology

• What are monomers?


  Smaller units that create larger molecules
• What are polymers made from?

  Many monomers bonded together
• What type of reaction creates polymers?

  Condensation reaction
• What is hydrolysis?

  Breaking apart monomers using water
• What are the three levels of carbohydrate size?

  Monosaccharides, disaccharides, polysaccharides
• What are the three monosaccharides to know?

  Glucose, fructose, galactose
• What is the formula for glucose?

  C$_6$H$_{12}$O$_6$
• What is the difference between alpha and beta glucose?

  Position of hydroxyl and hydrogen groups
• What type of bond forms between monosaccharides in disaccharides?

  Glycosidic bond
• What is maltose made from?

  Glucose plus glucose
• What is the function of starch in plants?

  Store glucose for chemical energy
• What is the function of cellulose in plants?

  Provide structural strength in cell walls
• Where is glycogen mainly found in animals?

  Liver and muscle cells
• What is the difference between starch and cellulose?

  Starch is alpha glucose; cellulose is beta glucose
• What type of glycosidic bonds do starch and glycogen have?

  Both have 1-4 and 1-6 bonds
• What is the structure of amylose?

  Unbranched polymer that coils into a helix
• What is the advantage of amylopectin's branched structure?

  Increases surface area for enzyme attachment
• Why are polysaccharides insoluble?

  They are large and do not affect water potential
• What is the structure of cellulose?

  Long straight chains with hydrogen bonds
• What is the key difference between glycogen and starch?

  Glycogen has more 1-6 glycosidic bonds
• What are the two types of lipids mentioned?

  Triglycerides and phospholipids
• How many fatty acid chains does a triglyceride have?

  Three fatty acid chains
• What is the bond formed in triglycerides?

  Ester bond
• What is the difference between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids?

  Saturated has no double bonds; unsaturated has at least one
• What is the function of triglycerides?

  Energy storage
• Why do triglycerides not affect water potential?

  They are large and hydrophobic
• How many condensation reactions occur in phospholipids?

  Two condensation reactions
• What is the hydrophilic part of phospholipids?

  The phosphate group
• What is the hydrophobic part of phospholipids?

  The fatty acid chains
• What is the general structure of an amino acid?

  Central carbon, hydrogen, amino, carboxyl groups
• What bond forms between amino acids?

  Peptide bond
• What is the primary structure of a protein?

  Order of amino acids in a polypeptide chain
• What holds the secondary structure of proteins in place?

  Hydrogen bonds
• What determines the tertiary structure of a protein?

  Primary structure and bond locations
• What is the quaternary structure of a protein?

  Protein made of more than one polypeptide chain
• What is the function of enzymes?

  Catalyze reactions by lowering activation energy
• What is the active site of an enzyme?

  Specific region where substrate binds
• What is the induced fit model of enzyme action?

  Active site changes shape to fit substrate
• How do enzymes lower activation energy?

  By putting strain on substrate bonds
• What model explains how enzymes work at A level?

  Induced fit model