III. Biological Molecules

Note: Numbers in parentheses refer to sections in your textbook.

Outline:

  1. Organic molecules (3.1)
    1. Carbon and organic molecules
    2. Functional groups
    3. Synthesis of macromolecules
  2. Carbohydrates (3.2)
    1. Monosaccharides
    2. Disaccharides
    3. Polysaccharides
  3. Lipids (3.3)
    1. Fats and oils
    2. Phospholipids
    3. Waxes and steroids
  4. Proteins (3.4, 3.5)
    1. Functions
    2. Amino acids
    3. Peptide bonds
    4. Conformation and function
    5. Levels of protein structure
  5. Nucleic acids (3.7)
    1. Nucleotides
    2. DNA and RNA

     

Key Terms:

amino

hydrolysis

polypeptide

amino acid

hydroxyl

polysaccharide

carbohydrate

lipid

protein

carbonyl

methyl

purine

carboxyl

monomer

pyrimidine

cellulose

monosaccharide

RNA

conformation

nucleic acid

saturated

dehydration synthesis

nucleotide

starch

denaturation

peptide bond

steroids

disaccharide

phosphate

sulfhydryl

DNA

phospholipid

triglyceride

fatty acid

polymer

unsaturated

glycogen

   

Study Questions:

A. Organic molecules

What is the significance of condensation and hydrolysis?

How does the carbon atom serve as a backbone for biological molecules?

Diagram each of the following functional groups and briefly describe the properties of each: methyl, amino, carboxyl, hydroxyl, carbonyl, phosphate.

How are large polymers (like proteins) made?

When you have completed your study of biological molecules, you should be able to answer the following: What are the four major types of macromolecules found in living organisms? For each type, give the name and description of the monomer of which it is formed, its functions, and specific examples.

B. Carbohydrates

Describe the general structural features of a carbohydrate.

What is a monosaccharide; a disaccharide; a polysaccharide?

What are the major functions of carbohydrates?

Compare cellulose, starch, and glycogen, giving both similarities and differences (in addition to molecular structure, consider their functions and locations).

C. Lipids

Draw diagrams of a fatty acid, a triglyceride, and a phospholipid.

How does the triglyceride differ from the phospholipid?

What are the major functions of lipids?

How does the structure of a phospholipid contribute to its function in the cell membrane?

D. Proteins

What functions do proteins carry out in cells?

Draw a diagram of an amino acid. How do amino acids link together to form proteins?

Describe primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure in proteins.

What determines the three-dimensional structure of a protein?

What are conformational changes in proteins?

What is protein denaturation?

E. Nucleic acids

What is the general structure of a nucleotide?

What are purines and pyrimidines?

How are DNA and RNA similar and how do they differ?

What are the major functions of nucleic acids?