Week 2: biological molecules

• All life is made of organic compounds composed of C, H, O, and N that form diverse molecules
• Macromolecules in organic compounds appear as polymers or monomers
• Monomers have one "building block," while polymers have more than one monomer
• Most common macromolecules include carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids
• Assembling biological molecules involves joining monomers to form polymers through dehydration synthesis (water is removed)
• Disassembling biological molecules involves breaking down polymers into monomers through hydrolysis (water is added)
• Carbohydrates are sugars that provide quick energy and act as structural molecules
• Monosaccharides join to form disaccharides and polysaccharides
• Examples of disaccharides include maltose, sucrose, and lactose
• Polysaccharides like glycogen, starch, and cellulose serve various functions in organisms
• Lipids are fatty molecules that provide long-term energy, act as insulators, hormones, and are major components of cellular membranes
• The three main types of lipids are phospholipids, triglycerides, and steroids
• Triglycerides are composed of three fatty acids and one glycerol, bonded by ester bonds
• Saturated vs. unsaturated fats have different properties based on the nature of the fatty acid
• Phospholipids and steroids have specific structures and functions in organisms
• Nucleic acids store genetic information and are essential for reproduction and passing of genes
• Nucleotides join to form polynucleotides, with DNA and RNA being key examples
• Proteins are diverse molecules that can act as enzymes, antibodies, hormones, and structural elements
• Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions and have specific structures for function
• Proteins have primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structures that determine their function
• Denaturation can occur when a protein loses its unique shape and function
• Enzymes are catalysts for reactions, bind to molecules, and are often named with the suffix "-ase"
• The three types of carbohydrates are monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides.
• Disaccharides are formed by condensation reactions between two monosaccharide units.
• Monosaccharides include glucose (C6H12O6), fructose (C6H12O6), galactose (C6H12O6), ribose (C5H10O5), deoxyribose (C5H10O4N), and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (C3H8O7P).
• Disaccharides include sucrose (glucose + fructose), maltose (two glucoses), lactose (galactose + glucose), trehalose (two glucoses), cellobiose (two glucoses), and starch (amylopectin or amylose).
• Polysaccharides include glycogen (animal storage form) and starch (plant storage form).
• Polysaccharides are long chains of monosaccharides joined together through glycosidic bonds.
• Monosaccharides include glucose (C6H12O6), fructose (C6H12O6), galactose (C6H12O6), ribose (C5H10O5), deoxyribose (C5H10O4N), and pentoses (C5).
• Polysaccharides are long chains of monosaccharides joined together by glycosidic bonds.
• Starch is made up of amylose (a linear chain) and amylopectin (branched structure).
• Glycosidic bonds link monomers together in polymers.
• Amylose is an unbranched polymer of alpha-D-glucopyranose units linked through alpha-1,4 glycosidic bonds.
• Glycogen is the animal storage form of glucose, while starch is the plant storage form of glucose.
• Disaccharides include sucrose, maltose, lactose, trehalose, cellobiose, and starch (amylose/amylopectin).
• Cellulose is an insoluble fiber found in plants that provides structural support to cells.