biological molecule

• Monomers are smaller units which can create larger molecules and the polymers are made from lots of monomers which are bonded together
• Examples of monomers and polymers


  • Glucose (monomer)
  • Amino acids (monomers)
  • Nucleotides (monomers)
  • Starch (polymer)
  • Cellulose (polymer)
  • Glycogen (polymer)
  • Proteins (polymer)
  • DNA/RNA (polymer)
• Condensation reaction to create polymers


  1. Joining two molecules together

  2. Creating a chemical bond

  3. Removing water
• Hydrolysis reaction to break apart polymers


  1. Breaking a chemical bond between two molecules

  2. Involves the use of water
• Monosaccharide


  One sugar unit
• Disaccharide


  Two sugar units joined together
• Polysaccharide


  Many sugar units joined together
• Monosaccharides


  • Glucose
  • Fructose
  • Galactose
• Disaccharides


  • Sucrose
  • Maltose
  • Lactose
• Polysaccharides


  • Starch
  • Cellulose
  • Glycogen
• Alpha glucose


  Hydrogen atom on top, hydroxyl group on bottom of carbon 1
• Beta glucose


  Hydroxyl group on top, hydrogen atom on bottom of carbon 1
• Glycosidic bond


  Chemical bond that forms between two monosaccharides to create a disaccharide
• Maltose is made from glucose + glucose, lactose is made from glucose + galactose, sucrose is made from glucose + fructose
• Starch


  • Stored in plants, provides chemical energy
• Cellulose


  • Structural strength in plant cell walls
• Glycogen


  • Stored in animals, mainly in liver and muscle cells
• Starch and glycogen are made from alpha glucose, cellulose is made from beta glucose
• Starch has 1-4 and 1-6 glycosidic bonds, cellulose has 1-4 glycosidic bonds, glycogen has 1-4 and 1-6 glycosidic bonds
• Amylose


  Unbranched starch polymer with only 1-4 glycosidic bonds
• Amylopectin


  Branched starch polymer with both 1-4 and 1-6 glycosidic bonds
• Amylose


  • Coils up into a helix, allows compact storage
• Amylopectin


  • Branched structure creates larger surface area for enzymes
• Carbohydrates are large and insoluble, so they don't affect water potential or osmosis
• Cellulose


  • Long straight chains held together by hydrogen bonds, provides structural strength
• Glycogen


  • More branched than starch, can be more readily hydrolyzed to release glucose
• Triglycerides


  Lipid with glycerol and 3 fatty acid chains
• Phospholipids


  Lipid with glycerol, 2 fatty acid chains, and a phosphate group
• Monomers are smaller units which can create larger molecules and the polymers are made from lots of monomers which are bonded together
• Triglyceride formation


  3 condensation reactions, 3 ester bonds formed, 3 water molecules removed
• Examples of monomers and polymers


  • Glucose (monomer)
  • Amino acids (monomers)
  • Nucleotides (monomers)
  • Starch (polymer)
  • Cellulose (polymer)
  • Glycogen (polymer)
  • Proteins (polymer)
  • DNA/RNA (polymer)
• Triglycerides


  • High ratio of energy-storing C-H bonds, can act as metabolic water source, do not affect water potential
• Condensation reaction to create polymers


  1. Joining two molecules together

  2. Creating a chemical bond

  3. Removing water
• Phospholipids


  • Hydrophilic head, hydrophobic tails, can form bilayers
• Amino acid


  Monomer that makes up proteins, has central carbon, hydrogen, amine group, carboxyl group, and variable R group
• Hydrolysis reaction to break apart polymers


  1. Breaking a chemical bond between two molecules

  2. Involves the use of water
• Dipeptide formation


  Condensation reaction, peptide bond formed, water removed
• Monosaccharide


  One sugar unit
• Polypeptide formation


  Multiple amino acids joined by peptide bonds
• Disaccharide


  Two sugar units joined together