Biomolecules

Question 1

What are biomolecules?

Answer 1

Major organic molecules of life, including carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

Question 2

What does the prefix mono- mean?

Answer 2

One.

Question 3

What does the prefix di- mean?

Answer 3

Two.

Question 4

What does the prefix poly- mean?

Answer 4

Three or more / many.

Question 5

What does the suffix –mer mean?

Answer 5

Part.

Question 6

Define monomer.

Answer 6

One building block or subunit.

Question 7

Define dimer.

Answer 7

Two building blocks or subunits.

Question 8

Define polymer.

Answer 8

Three or more building blocks/subunits.

Question 9

What is dehydration synthesis?

Answer 9

A process that joins monomers to form polymers by removing water.

Question 10

What happens during dehydration synthesis at the molecular level?

Answer 10

A hydrogen (H) from one molecule and a hydroxyl (OH) from another combine to form water, allowing the molecules to bond.

Question 11

What is hydrolysis?

Answer 11

A process that breaks polymers into monomers by adding water.

Question 12

What must be added to break the bond between two subunits in hydrolysis?

Answer 12

Water (H₂O).

Question 13

What makes a molecule organic?

Answer 13

It contains carbon-hydrogen (C–H) bonds.

Question 14

What makes a molecule inorganic?

Answer 14

It does NOT contain carbon-hydrogen bonds.

Question 15

Are CO₂ and H₂O organic or inorganic?

Answer 15

Inorganic.

Question 16

Why is water important to cells?

Answer 16

Most cellular processes occur in water solutions.

Question 17

What are the four main groups of organic molecules?

Answer 17

Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids.

Question 18

What elements make up carbohydrates?

Answer 18

Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a 1:2:1 ratio.

Question 19

What is the general formula of glucose?

Answer 19

C₆H₁₂O₆.

Question 20

What organisms make carbohydrates?

Answer 20

Plants (autotrophs).

Question 21

What is the primary function of carbohydrates?

Answer 21

Short-term energy.

Question 22

What is the monomer of carbohydrates?

Answer 22

Monosaccharides.

Question 23

What foods contain carbohydrates?

Answer 23

Sugars (sweet foods) and starches.

Question 24

Where is glucose converted into ATP?

Answer 24

The mitochondria.

Question 25

What are monosaccharides?

Answer 25

Simple sugars.

Question 26

How do you recognize a monosaccharide?

Answer 26

Sweet taste; ends in *–ose*; ring-shaped.

Question 27

Examples of monosaccharides?

Answer 27

Fructose, galactose.

Question 28

What is a disaccharide?

Answer 28

A carbohydrate made of two sugar units.

Question 29

Examples of disaccharides?

Answer 29

Sucrose, lactose, maltose.

Question 30

What are polysaccharides?

Answer 30

Complex carbohydrates made of long chains of monosaccharides.

Question 31

What are polysaccharides used for?

Answer 31

Short-term energy storage; structure/support.

Question 32

Where are polysaccharides found?

Answer 32

Starches (bread, cereal, pasta).

Question 33

What stores sugar in muscles and liver?

Answer 33

Glycogen.

Question 34

What polysaccharide provides structure in plant cell walls?

Answer 34

Cellulose.

Question 35

What polysaccharide is found in invertebrate exoskeletons?

Answer 35

Chitin.

Question 36

What elements make up lipids?

Answer 36

Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

Question 37

Functions of lipids?

Answer 37

Long-term energy storage, hormones, cell membrane, steroids.

Question 38

What are the subunits of lipids?

Answer 38

Glycerol + fatty acids.

Question 39

Are lipids soluble in water?

Answer 39

No (they do not mix with water).

Question 40

Examples of lipids?

Answer 40

Fats, oils, waxes.

Question 41

Relationship of lipids to cells?

Answer 41

The cell membrane is composed of lipids.

Question 42

What elements make up proteins?

Answer 42

Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and usually sulfur.

Question 43

Functions of proteins?

Answer 43

Structure, enzymes, muscle building.

Question 44

What is the monomer of proteins?

Answer 44

Amino acids.

Question 45

Food sources of proteins?

Answer 45

Meat, beans.

Question 46

Examples of proteins?

Answer 46

Muscles, hair, cartilage, nails.

Question 47

What are enzymes?

Answer 47

Organic catalysts that speed up chemical reactions by lowering activation energy.

Question 48

Are enzymes changed by the reaction?

Answer 48

No.

Question 49

How do enzymes work?

Answer 49

A substrate attaches to the enzyme’s active site; the enzyme lowers activation energy.

Question 50

Why is it called the lock-and-key model?

Answer 50

Enzymes are specific; each enzyme works with one substrate.

Question 51

What is denaturation?

Answer 51

Unraveling of a protein, causing loss of function.

Question 52

What is an enzyme inhibitor?

Answer 52

A molecule that prevents substrate from binding to an enzyme.

Question 53

What is a competitive inhibitor?

Answer 53

Physically blocks the active site.

Question 54

What is a noncompetitive inhibitor?

Answer 54

Binds elsewhere on the enzyme, changing the shape of the active site.

Question 55

What elements make up nucleic acids?

Answer 55

Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus.

Question 56

Functions of nucleic acids?

Answer 56

Store genetic information; help make proteins.

Question 57

What is the monomer of nucleic acids?

Answer 57

Nucleotides.

Question 58

What are the three parts of a nucleotide?

Answer 58

A sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogen base.

Question 59

What are the nitrogen bases in DNA?

Answer 59

Adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine.

Question 60

Examples of nucleic acids?

Answer 60

DNA and RNA.

Question 61

Where is genetic information housed in cells?

Answer 61

The nucleus.

Question 62

What instructions do nucleic acids provide?

Answer 62

Instructions for making proteins.