AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

AP Biology Chapter 5: Macromolecules Flashcards

ap bio chapter 5 review

Terms : Hide Images
356026997macromoleculesgiant molecules formed by the joining of smaller molecules, usually by a condensation reaction; polysaccharides, proteins, and nucleic acids are considered these0
356026998polymera long molecule consisting of many similar or identical building blocks linked by covalent bonds, much as a train consists of a train of cars; carbohydrates, nucleic acids, and proteins are examples of these1
356026999monomersrepeating units that serve as building blocks of a polymer; smaller molecules; some also have functions on their own2
356027000condensation reactionwhen two monomers connect to each other by a reaction in which two molecules are covalently bonded to each other through a loss of a molecule3
356027001dehydration reactionwhen two monomers connect to each other by a reaction in which a hydroxyl group covalently bonds to a hydrogen atom, which causes the loss of a water molecule in the process4
356027002enzymesspecialized macromolecules that speed up chemical reactions in cells; considered proteins5
356027003hydrolysisa process that occurs when the bonds between two monomers are broken by the addition of water molecules, with a hydrogen from the water attaching to one monomer and a hydroxyl group attaching to the adjacent monomer6
356027004carbohydratesa sugar (monosaccharide) or one of its dimers (disaccharides) or polymers (polysaccharides)7
356027005monosaccharidesmolecules with a general formula of some multiple of the unit CH2O; these are major nutrients as carbon skeletons serve as raw material for synthesis of other organic molecules8
356027006disaccharidemolecule that consists of two monosaccharides joined by a glycosidic linkage9
356027007glycosidic linkagea covalent bond formed between two monosaccharides by a dehydration reaction; the most common type of this in nature is a "1-4"10
356027008polysaccharidesmacromolecules; polymers with a few hundred to a few thousand monosaccharides joined by glycosidic linkages; serve as storage material, hydrolyzed as needed to provide sugar for cells; building material for structures that protect a cell or an organism; architecture and function are determined by sugar monomers and by positions of glycosidic linkages11
356027009starcha polymer of glucose monomers; synthesizing this allows for the storage of glucose, and thus, stored energy; this molecule is helical in shape12
356027010glycogena polymer of glucose that is like amylopectin (a complex starch that is a branched polymer with 1-6 linkages at branch points) but more extensively branched; animals store this13
356027011cellulosea polysaccharide that is a major component of the tough walls that enclose plant cells; most abundant organic compound on Earth; polymer of glucose14
356027012chitinan important structural polysaccharide used by arthropods to build their exoskeletons; pure forms of this are leathery and flexible, but they harden when encased within calcium carbonate15
356027013lipidone of a group of compounds, including fats, phospholipids, and steroids, THAT MIX POORLY, IF AT ALL, WITH WATER; they are not composed of true polymers, so they are generally not large enough to be considered macromolecules; they are hydrophobic because they contain few polar bonds and many hydrocarbon regions; they vary in form and function16
356027014fata large molecule constructed by two smaller molecules, glycerol and a fatty acid, through dehydration reaction; major function is energy storage17
356027015glycerolan alcohol with three carbons, each having a hydroxyl group18
356027016fatty acida molecule with a long carbon skeleton (usually 16 or 18 in length) and a carboxyl group at the end of the molecule (hence the acid); these are hydrophobic19
356027017triacylglycerola fat that consists of three fatty acids linked to one glycerol molecule; linkages that bond hydroxyl to carboxyl are called ester linkages20
356027018saturated fatty acida fatty acid that has no double-bonded carbon atoms so that as many hydrogen atoms as possible are bonded to the carbon skeleton21
356027019unsaturated fatty acida fatty acid that has one or more double-bonded carbon atoms formed by the removal of hydrogen atoms from the carbon skeleton; there will be a kink in the hydrocarbon chain wherever a -cis double-bond occurs (causes bending)22
356027020saturated fata fat made from saturated fatty acid; animal fats are solid at room temperature because they lack double-bonds, thus flexibility enables molecules to pack together tightly23
356027021unsaturated fata fat made from unsaturated fatty acids; they are liquid at room temperature (oils) because kinks in -cis bonding prevent molecules from packing together to solidify24
356027022trans fatthe fat that results when unsaturated fats are synthetically converted to saturated fats to prevent the separation of lipids (margarine and peanut butter are examples); this process produces saturated fats and unsaturated fats with trans double bonds25
356027023phospholipidscells need these in order to exist because they make up cell membranes; has 2 fatty acids attached to glycerol instead of traditional 3 (triacylglycerol); always assemble into a double-layer aggregate because of hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tail26
356027024steroidslipids characterized by a carbon skeleton consisting of four fused rings27
356027025cholesterola common component of animal cell membranes, and a foundation from which other steroids are synthesized; crucial molecule in animals, but can be dangerous when in high amounts28
356027026catalystschemical agents that selectively speed up chemical reactions without being consumed by the reaction; can be seen as workhorses that keep cells running by carrying out processes of life29
356027027polypeptidespolymers of all amino acids30
356027028proteinsmacromolecules that are constructed from one or more polypeptides, each folded and coiled into a specific three-dimensional structure; all made from same 20 amino acids; most structurally sophisticated molecule known31
356027029amino acidsorganic molecules possessing both carboxyl and amino groups32
356027030peptide bonda covalent bond that results when two amino acids join through dehydration reaction33
356027031enzymatic proteinprotein that functions in selective acceleration of chemical reactions Example: digestive enzymes catalyze the hydrolysis of the polymers in food34
356027032structural proteinthe type of protein that supports an organism; example: insects and spiders use silk fibers for cocoons and webs, collagen and elastin provide fibrous framework in animal connective tissues; keratin is protein of hair, horns, feathers, etc.35
356027033storage proteinthe type of protein that stores amino acids; example: ovalbumin is the protein of egg white, used as an amino acid source for developing embryos36
356027034transport proteinthe type of protein that transports other substances; example: hemoglobin, the iron-containing protein of vertebrate blood, transports oxygen from lungs to other parts of the body37
356027035hormonal proteinthe type of protein that coordinates an organism's activities; example: insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas, helps regulate the concentration of sugar in the blood of vertebrates38
356027036receptor proteinthe type of protein that helps a cell respond to chemical stimuli; example: receptors built into the membrane of a nerve cell detect chemical signals released by other nerve cells39
356027037contractile and motor proteinthe type of protein that controls movement; example: actin and myosin are responsible for the contraction of muscles; other proteins are responsible for the undulations of cilia and flagella40
356027038defensive proteinthe type of protein that protects against disease; example: antibodies combat bacteria and viruses41
356027039globularthe shape of proteins that are roughly spherical42
356027040fibrousthe shape of proteins that are long and fiber-like43
356027041primary structurethe unique structure of amino acids; example: a polypeptide composed of 127 amino acids has 20^127 different ways it can be organized44
356027042secondary structurethe collection of coils and folds that result from hydrogen bonds between repeating constituents of the polypeptide backbone (not the amino acid sides)45
356027043alpha helixa secondary structure that is a delicate coil held together by hydrogen bonding between every fourth amino acid46
356027044beta pleated sheeta secondary structure in which two or more regions of the polypeptide chain lying side by side are connected by hydrogen bonds between parts of two parallel polypeptide backbones; it makes up the core of globular proteins47
356027045tertiary structurethe overall shape of a polypeptide that results from interactions between side chains of various amino acids48
356027046hydrophobic interactionan interaction that contributes to tertiary structure; as a polypeptide folds into functional shape, amino acids with hydrophobic side chains usually end up in clusters at the core of the protein, away from water49
356027047disulfide bridgeslinks that form where two cysteine monomers are brought together by folding of protein; covalent bonds reinforce structure50
356027048quaternary structurethe overall protein structure that results from the gathering of polypeptide subunits; some proteins consist of 2 or more polypeptide chains combined into one macromolecule51
356027049sickle-cell diseasean inherited blood disorder that is caused by a substitution of one amino acid (valine) for the normal amino acid (glutamic acid) at a particular position in the primary structure of hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in red blood cells52
356027050denaturationthe unraveling and loss of a protein's native shape due to alterations of its environment, such as pH, salt concentration, and temperature; this causes a protein to become biologically inactive53
356027051chaperoninsprotein molecules that assist in the proper folding of other proteins; they do not specify the final structure of a protein, instead they keep the new polypeptide separated from "bad influences" in the cytoplasmic environment while it folds54
356027052x-ray crystallographythe method used to determine 3-D structures of proteins; developed in 195955
356027053genea discrete unit of hereditary information consisting of a specific nucleotide sequence in DNA (or RNA, in some viruses)56
356027054nucleic acida polymer (polynucleotide) consisting of many nucleotide monomers; serves as a blueprint for proteins, and through the actions of proteins, for all cellular activities; two types are DNA and RNA57
356027055deoxyribonucleic acida double-stranded, helical nucleic acid molecule consisting of nucleotide monomers with a deoxyribose sugar and the nitrogenous bases adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine; it is capable of replicating and determining the inherited structure of a cell's proteins58
356027056ribonucleic acida type of nucleic acid consisting of nucleotide monomers with a ribose sugar and nitrogenous bases adenine, cytosine, guanine, and uracil; usually single-stranded; functions in protein synthesis, gene regulation, and as the genome of some viruses59
356027057messenger RNAa nucleic acid that directs the production of polypeptides; this is found in the cells' ribosomes60
356027058nucleotidethe monomer of nucleic acids that has three parts: 1) a nitrogenous base (A, C, G, T, U); 2) a give-carbon sugar (a pentose); 3) a phosphate group61
356027059pyrimidinesthe family of smaller nitrogenous bases in which its members have six-membered rings of carbon and nitrogen atoms; members include cytosine (C), thymine (T), and uracil (U)62
356027060purinesthe family of larger nitrogenous bases in which its members have a six-membered ring fused to a five-membered ring; members are adenine (A) and guanine (G)63
356027061ribosethe sugar connected to RNA; has one more oxygen atom than the other sugar associated with nucleicacids64
356027062deoxyribosethe sugar connected to DNA; has one less oxygen atom than the other sugar associated with nucleic acids65
356027063double helixthe shape that cellular DNA molecules take as a result of spiraling around an imaginary axis; this was proposed by James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953 at Cambridge University66
356027064antiparallelthe pattern that describes the formation of DNA; the two sugar-phosphate backbones run in opposite 5' >> 3' directions from each other, somewhat like a divided highway67
356027065starch: "a" glucose monomers; cellulose: "b" glucose monomersdifference between starch and cellulose68
356027066C3H6O3Write the formula for a monosaccharide that has three carbons69
356027067C12H22O11A dehydration reaction joins two glucose molecules to form maltose. The formula for glucose is C6H12O6. What is the formula for maltose?70
356027068Because they dissolve poorly, if at all, with waterWhy are human sex hormones considered lipids?71

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!