BCM

• The cell membrane is composed of phospholipids, cholesterol, proteins, glycoproteins, and carbohydrates.
• Cholesterol - stabilizes the fluidity of the membrane by preventing it from becoming too rigid or too fluid
• Carbohydrate - forms glycocalyx (glycosylated protein)
• Carbohydrates are the most abundant biomolecules on earth
• Carbohydrates are a major source of energy for all living organisms such as animals and plants
• Carbohydrates also serve as important structural components
• DNA contains the carbohydrate ribose
• Plant cell walls are made up of the carbohydrate cellulose
• Carbohydrates mainly contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms in a molar ratio of 1:2:1
• Carbohydrates can be divided into four types: monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides
• Monosaccharides are the smallest units that make up any carbohydrate
• The three main monosaccharides in the human diet are glucose, galactose, and fructose
• Disaccharides are made up of two monosaccharides
• Examples of disaccharides include maltose, lactose, and sucrose
• Oligosaccharides consist of short chains of monosaccharides, typically less than 20 monosaccharides linked together
• When an oligosaccharide exceeds 20 monosaccharides, it becomes a polysaccharide
• Polysaccharides are the most common form of carbohydrates found in nature
• Polysaccharides can be homo polysaccharides (containing a single type of monosaccharides) or hetero polysaccharides (containing two or more different monosaccharides)
• Polysaccharides can be unbranched or branched
• Starch is a homo polysaccharide and a storage form of monosaccharides in plants
• Glycogen is a homo polysaccharide and a storage form of glucose in animals
• DIC strands are structural components in bacteria and yeast
• Cellulose is an unbranched homo polysaccharide and a structural component in plants
• Enantiomers are non-mirror images and not superimposable
• The carboxyl group (-COOH) is also known as the beta carbon (Cβ)
• Constitutional isomers differ in their connectivity, while stereoisomers have the same connectivity but different spatial arrangement
• Constitutional isomers have the same chemical formula but different structures
• Stereoisomers have the same connectivity but different spatial arrangement
• Enantiomers are non-superimposable mirror images of each other
• Diastereomers have some chiral centers changed but not all
• Meso compounds have a plane of symmetry and are identical molecules
• Cis-trans geometric isomers are always diastereomers
• Identical molecules have the same structure and connectivity
• Constitutional isomers have different connectivity
• Meso compounds have a plane of symmetry and are identical to each other
• When working with different representations of stereoisomers, redraw one form in the other form
• Stereoisomers can be enantiomers, diastereomers, or identical
• Newman projections are skeletal structures seen from a different point of view
• Color code carbons to represent each other in Newman projections
• In Newman projections, the substituents represent the other carbons