Carbs & Reactions
What is the general chemical ratio or formula shared by simple monosaccharides?
CH2O or 1:2:1 ratio
Which class of lipids forms the primary double layer of the cell membrane?
Phospholipids
What is the term for the passive movement of solute particles from high to low concentration?
Diffusion
What are the monomer building blocks (subunits) that make up protein polymers?
Amino acids
What are the three components that make up a nucleotide monomer?
A 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base
What is the name of the covalent bond that links two monosaccharides together?
Glycosidic bond (or glycosidic linkage)
What term describes a molecule that contains both a hydrophilic region and a hydrophobic region?
Amphipathic
What type of solution causes an animal cell to swell and potentially burst due to water influx?
Hypotonic solution (More solute on inside the cell than in, solvent travels into cell)
How do you determine the polarity of an amino acid?
By looking at the chemical properties of its variable R-group (side chain) (e.g., nonpolar if made mostly of hydrocarbons; polar if it contains electronegative oxygen/nitrogen or formal charges)
What are the basic chemical components that make up a triglyceride lipid?
One glycerol backbone and three fatty acid tails
Which chemical reaction builds polymers from monomers by releasing a water molecule?
Dehydration synthesis (or condensation reaction)
Which membrane components span the entirety of the lipid bilayer to function as channels, pumps, or receptors?
Transmembrane proteins
What term describes a solution with an equal solute concentration relative to the inside of the cell?
Isotonic solution
Which structural level involves backbone hydrogen bonding to form alpha-helices and beta-pleated sheets?
Secondary structure
What type of strong covalent bond links adjacent nucleotides along a nucleic acid backbone?
Phosphodiester bond
Which chemical reaction breaks down polymers into individual monomers by adding water?
Hydrolysis
Which lipid molecule is embedded within the hydrophobic tail region to regulate membrane fluidity?
Cholesterol
Which structures facilitate passive transport of large or charged molecules across the membrane without ATP?
Transport proteins (or channel/carrier proteins)
What process describes a protein losing its 3D shape and biological activity due to changes in pH or extreme heat?
Denaturation
What is the difference between a saturated fatty acid and an unsaturated fatty acid, and how do their structures affect their physical properties?
Saturated fatty acids have no double bonds between carbon atoms in their hydrocarbon chain, allowing them to pack tightly together and remain solid at room temperature (e.g., butter).
Unsaturated fatty acids contain one or more double bonds (typically in a cis configuration), which introduces kinks in the hydrocarbon chain that prevent tight packing, making them liquid at room temperature (e.g., vegetable oils).
What structural carbohydrate do plants use to build their cell walls?
Cellulose
What is the primary cellular function of glycolipids and glycoproteins located on the outer membrane surface?
Cell identification (or cell-to-cell recognition)
What are the two main types of bulk transport across the cell membrane, and how do they differ?
Endocytosis (bringing large particles or fluids into the cell by engulfing them in vesicles) and Exocytosis (releasing materials out of the cell by fusing internal vesicles with the plasma membrane).
What is the main structural difference between tertiary and quaternary protein structure?
Tertiary structure is the 3D folding of a single polypeptide chain, whereas quaternary structure is the arrangement and interaction of multiple polypeptide subunits working together to form a fully functioning protien.
According to Chargaff's rules, if a double-stranded DNA sample contains 20% Cytosine, what percentage of Thymine does it contain?
30% (C = G = 20%, leaving 60% split between A and T)