Naturally Occurring Polymers

• What are naturally occurring polymers?

  Polymers that exist naturally in the environment
• What are polymers made of?

  Long chains of smaller molecules called monomers
• What are polypeptides made of?

  Lots of amino acids linked together
• What is DNA made of?

  Nucleotides
• What are carbohydrates made of?

  Sugars
• How do polypeptides become proteins?

  By folding or combining with other polypeptides
• What roles do proteins play in the body?

  Catalyzing reactions and providing structure
• What are the two functional groups in an amino acid?

  Carboxyl group and amino group
• What is the central carbon in an amino acid connected to?

  Carboxyl group and amino group
• What is the R group in an amino acid?

  A group that changes depending on the amino acid
• Why are amino acids called amino acids?

  They contain an amino group and carboxylic acid group
• What type of reaction joins amino acids to form a polymer?

  Condensation reactions
• What do the carboxylic acid group and amino group produce when they react?

  Water
• What is the bond formed between amino acids called?

  Peptide bond
• What is the general formula for the reaction of amino acids forming a polymer?

  Amino acid + amino acid → repeat unit + H2O
• What are the monomers of DNA called?

  Nucleotides
• What do nucleotides contain that is important?

  A base
• What are the four types of bases in nucleotides?

  T, A, G, C
• How do cells create different genes?

  By combining nucleotides in different orders
• What structure does DNA form to keep codes intact?

  A double helix
• What are carbohydrates made of?

  Carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen
• What are polysaccharides?

  Polymers made from sugars
• What are monosaccharides?

  Simple sugars like glucose and fructose
• How are polysaccharides formed?

  By combining monosaccharides like glucose
• What are the key points about naturally occurring polymers?

  • Exist naturally in the environment
  • Made of long chains of monomers
  • Examples include polypeptides, DNA, carbohydrates
• What are the differences between polypeptides, DNA, and carbohydrates?

  • Polypeptides: Made of amino acids, form proteins
  • DNA: Made of nucleotides, carries genetic information
  • Carbohydrates: Made of sugars, provide energy