Biological Compounds

    Cards (50)

    • what is a molecule? made from two or more atoms
    • what is an ion? formed from metals or non-metals or combinations of elements
    • what are compounds? made from atoms of two or more elements chemically bonded together
    • what is the function of calcium? strengthens teeth, bones and nerves in animals, and cell walls in plants
    • whats the function of phosphorus? present in cell membranes/ATP/nucleic acids
    • what is the function of magnesium? enzymes function and chlorophyll function in plants
    • what is the function of iron? present in haemoglobin for oxygen transport
    • why is water known as a universal solvent? because a large number of substances can dissolve in water
    • how is ice a good property for water -ice is less dense than water so forms an insulating layer over the surface of aquatic habitats
    • what does water being transparent mean? that light can pass through so aquatic plants can photosynthesise
    • what does water having a high surface tension do? supports the mass of many organisms and becomes a habitat for them e.g pond skaters
    • what does water having a high specific heat capacity do? water can absorb a lot of energy with only a small rise in temperaturetemperature of cells and aquatic habitats dos not change quickly so conditions are thermally stable
    • what does water having a high latent heat of vaporisation do? a lot of energy is needed to evaporate water so organisms use water evaporation to cool down and aquatic habitats don’t disappear easily by evaporation
    • what does water having strong cohesivity and adhesive properties do? water molecules can stick together and stick to other non-polar or charged substances and so water can be placed under high pulling forces and pulled through plants during transpiration
    • what are monosaccharides? monomers of sugar named according to the number of carbon atoms in the molecule
    • what do all carbohydrates contain? carbon, hydrogen, oxygen
    • what is the general formula of a monosaccharide? (CHX2​O)Xn
    • what is a structural isomer? molecules with the same molecular formula but with different arrangements of their atoms
    • give examples of a structural isomer? glucose, galactose, fructose
    • In alpha glucose and beta glucose what way do the OH groups go? -ABBA - Alpha OH Below - Beta OH Above
    • What are disaccharides? sugars made from two monosaccharide units and are formed from a condensation reaction
    • what is the bond that holds together two monosaccharide bonds called? a glycosidic bond
    • what is a hydrolysis reaction? breaking of a glycosidic bonds by the insertion of water
    • what two monosaccharides make lactose? beta galactose+alpha glucose
    • what two monosaccharides make sucrose? alpha glucose + fructose
    • similarities of starch and glycogen - both carbohydrates - both involved in the metabolism of an organism - are both storage polysaccharides that store and release glucose as necessary - both made of alpha glucose
    • structure of starch - mixture of amylose and amylopectin - have 1,4 and 1,6 glycosidic bonds - coiled and branched - compact so insoluble in water
    • structure of glycogen - more branched than starch - 1,4 an 1,6 glycosidic bonds - can form granules in cells an act as energy stores - more branches = better release of glucose because there are more ends where glycosidic bonds can be hydrolysed and glucose released
    • structure of cellulose - polysaccharide made of beta glucose - has beta 1,4 glycosidic bonds forming cellulose chain - every glucose molecule is rotated 180 degrees relative to eachother - so hydrogen bonds form between glucose molecules within different chains which forms cross-linkages - makes cellulose form microfibrils - completely insoluble - strong because of high number of hydrogen bonds between chains of beta glucose
    • structure of chitin - found in cell walls of fungi and in exoskeletons of insects - contains nitrogen so is a heteropolysaccharide and more hydrogen bonds can form - contains chitin microfibrils so has a greater tensile strength than cellulose
    • what is a triglyceride made of? glycerol combined with three fatty acids
    • what bonds are the bonds joining the fatty acids to glycerol? ester bonds
    • functions of triglycerides - are efficient energy storage molecules and the preferred one - good thermal insulators - provide mechanical protection for organs - provide buoyancy for aquatic animals - animals spread oils onto their fur or feathers to become waterproof
    • what is a saturated fatty acid? every carbon is saturated with hydrogen bonds maximising number of hydrogen bonds they can hold
    • what do saturated fatty acids generally form at room temp? fats, stronger forces of attraction requires more energy to break bonds
    • what is an unsaturated fatty acid? do not contain maximum number of hydrogen atoms and contains a carbon-carbon double bond
    • what are unsaturated fatty acids at room temperature? oils because weaker forces of attraction so lower melting point
    • what is a phospholipid? molecule containing a phosphate head and two fatty acid chains
    • function of phospholipids? - form the cell membrane phospholipid bilayer - contain saturated and unsaturated fatty acids which affects fluidity of the membranes
    • what can a high intake of fat do to humans? high saturated fats raises the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels. which increases fatty acid build up in coronary arteries and other arteries which causes blockages and eventually heart disease