Organic Macromolecules Flashcards

Organic Compounds

• Contain carbon and are produced naturally by organisms.
• Integral to various biological processes and structures.

Inorganic Compounds

• Generally do not contain carbon, e.g., water, salts, minerals.

Hydrocarbons

• Simplicity defines them; composed only of hydrogen and carbon.
• Serve as foundational molecules in organic chemistry.

Substituted Hydrocarbons

• Hydrocarbons modified by elements other than hydrogen or carbon.

Common Elements in Organic Compounds

• Six primary elements: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur.

Biological Macromolecules

• Complex organic molecules with distinct functions in living organisms.

Monomers and Polymers

• Monomers are single unit building blocks.
• Polymers are long chains formed from monomers.

Major Groups of Biological Macromolecules

• Four main categories: carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, nucleic acids.

Carbohydrates

• Composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
• Primarily serve as energy sources; serve structural roles in some cases.

Monosaccharides

• Simplest form of carbohydrates; single-ringed sugars ending in -ose.

Isomers

• Molecules with identical molecular formulas but different structures, e.g., glucose vs. fructose (C6H12O6).

Disaccharides

• Formed through dehydration synthesis; consist of two ring structures.

Dehydration Synthesis

• Process of bonding monomers by removing water.

Hydrolysis

• The chemical reaction that breaks bonds between monomers by adding water.

Polysaccharides

• Formed from chains of monosaccharides; complex carbohydrates.

Types of Polysaccharides

• Include starch, cellulose, glycogen, and chitin.

Starch

• Storage form of excess sugar in plants, found in roots, stems, and leaves; uses alpha 1-4 linkages.

Cellulose

• Structural polysaccharide in plant cell walls; features beta 1-4 linkages, forming sheets through hydrogen bonding.

Glycogen

• Animal equivalent of starch for sugar storage in the liver, with a highly branched structure.

Chitin

• Tough structural polysaccharide found in the exoskeletons of invertebrates, also contains nitrogen.

Proteins

• Composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur.
• Functionally diverse: structural (hair, nails), reactive (hormones, antibodies, enzymes).

Amino Acids

• Building blocks of proteins; 20 different types exist.

Functional Groups in Amino Acids

• Carboxyl group (COOH) and amine group vary among different amino acids.

Polypeptides

• Chains of amino acids; referred to as proteins when they achieve specific structures, ranging from 50 to 100,000 amino acids.

Peptide Bond

• The bond that links amino acids in a polypeptide chain.

Types of Proteins

• Fibrous proteins: structural components (e.g., keratin, collagen).
• Globular proteins: involved in chemical reactivity (e.g., enzymes, hormones).

Enzymes

• Organic catalysts that accelerate chemical reactions without alteration.
• Lower activation energy and exhibit specificity based on their unique shapes.

Substrate

• The specific target on which an enzyme acts.

Lock and Key Theory

• Enzymes interact with particular substrates that fit their specific 3D shapes.

Activated Complex

• A temporary structure formed when an enzyme binds to its substrate.

Denaturation

• Loss of a protein's normal shape due to environmental changes (pH, temperature), rendering it unable to function.

Lipids

• Composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen; play critical roles in cellular structure and energy storage.

Test your knowledge of organic macromolecules with these flashcards. Each card provides a key term along with its definition, helping you understand the characteristics and differences between organic and inorganic compounds. Perfect for students studying chemistry or related fields.