CH7A: Macromolecules

• Dehydration synthesis joins monomer units into a polymer chain.
• Hydrolysis reactions break down bonds between polymers by adding a water molecule.
• Carbohydrates are water-soluble sugars used for energy and structure.
• Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, have a ratio of one C to two H to one O.
• Glucose is an example of a simple sugar.
• Glucose and fructose undergo dehydration synthesis to make sucrose. This makes sucrose a disaccharide.
• Polysaccharides are known as glycans and are bigger than disaccharides. However, they are not water-soluble.
• What polysaccharide do plants use to store their energy?

  Starch
• What polysaccharide do humans use to store their glucose?

  Glycogen
• What polysaccharide are plant cells made of?

  cellulose
• What are peptidoglycan bacterial cell walls made of?

  N-acetyl glucosamine (NAG) and N-acetyl muramic acid (NAM)
• What are fungal cell walls made of?

  Chitin
• Chitin can be found on the external skeletons of insects, spiders, and lobsters
• Lipids are composed of hydrocarbons, which are hydrophobic.
• Lipids provide insulation, padding, energy storage, hormones
• Fats are a type of lipid that consists of three fatty acid tails and a glycerol molecule.
• Triglycerides include fats and oils.
• Fats function primarily in energy storage.
• Why are saturated fats solid and unsaturated fats liquid?

  Unsaturated fats have double bonds, which causes their fatty tails to bend and make them liquid, compared to saturated fats that have a single bond.
• Phospholipids contain a phosphate group and a glycerol molecule. It also only has 2 fatty tails, making it amphipathic.
• Phospholipids can come together to form micelles or lipid bilayers. It will have hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails lined up together as a part of the cell membrane.
• Sterols help maintain membrane fluidity and strength.
• What are sterols called in humans?

  Cholestrol
• What are sterols called in mycoplasma cells?

  Cholestrol
• What are sterols called in bacterial cells?

  Hopanoids
• What are sterols called in fungal/protozoal cells?

  Ergosterol
• The bonds in carbohydrates are called glycosidic.
• The bonds in nucleic acids are called phosphodiester.
• The bonds in proteins are called peptide bonds.
• Amino acids consist of a carboxyl group, amino group, and side chain . The side chain includes a hydrogen, a carbon, and an R group.
• Amino acids determine a protein's shape and chemical properties.
• The primary structure of a protein is the amino acid sequence from N terminus to C terminus.
• The secondary structure of a protein are the regions stabilized by hydrogen bonding between the amino acid backbone. This includes the alpha helix and beta pleated sheets made by amino acids.
• The tertiary structure of a protein is the 3D shape of the protein stabilized by side chain interactions.
• The quaternary structure of a protein is the combination of multiple polypeptides into one functional protein.
• Proteins can speed up enzymatic reactions, protect against disease, store amino acids, transport substances, serve as hormones, receptors, structural support, and be involved in contractile/motor movement
• Temperature, pH, salt, and solvents can all affect a protein's ability to fold.
• Denatured proteins can have altered function, or be completely inactive.
• Sickle cell anemia can change DNA sequences, which changes amino acids. This reduces the blood cell's ability to carry oxygen.
• Cystic fibrosis is caused by an amino acid mutation. It impairs the membrane channel so salt/water/chlorine ions can't pass through as efficiently.