Study Sheet for Biological Molecules
1. The large molecules in three of the four classes of life’s organic compounds are
chainlike molecules called ______________________.
2. Monomers join together to form polymers through chemical reactions termed
________________________ reactions because the molecule lost is __________.
3. Polymers are dissassembled to monomers through reactions called ____________.
4. The smallest carbohydrates are termed ___________________________.
5. Name two 5-carbon and three 6-carbon monosaccharides.
6. Glucose, fructose, and galactose are termed chemical ________________ because
they have the same chemical formula but they differ slightly in structure.
7. In aqueous solutions, glucose molecules, as well as most other sugars, form
_______________.
8. What are monosaccharides used for in a cell?
9. A disaccharide consists of two monosaccharides joined by a _________________.
10. Name three disaccharides and tell where you would find each of them.
11. Polysaccharides can have one of two functions. What are the functions?
12. Name an energy storage form of a polysaccharide found in plants, and then one found
in animals. Where in the body do animals store this compound?
13. What is the structural polysaccharide found in plants? How about in insects and
fungi?
14. Why is cellulose NOT a nutrient for humans?
15. How is a cow or a termite able to digest the cellulose that it eats?
16. Lipids are grouped together because __________________________________.
17. Neutral fats to triacylglycerols are composed of _________________________.
18. Neutral fats are stores of ____________________.
19. What is meant by the terms saturated, unsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids?
20. Does a gram of fat store the same, more, or less energy than a gram of carbohydrate?
21.What are the parts of a phospholipid molecule and how are they arranged?
22. What is the characteristic structure of a steroid molecule?
23. Give two examples of steroid molecules found in a human.
24. Which biological molecule accounts for more than 50% of the dry weight of a cell?
25. List the eight types of protein molecules and know a function for each type.
26. How many different amino acids can be found in a protein molecule?
27. Draw a diagram of an amino acid molecule and label the groups.
28. What type of bond is found in a protein molecule?
29.Are both ends of a protein molecule the same? If not, how are they different.
30. What are the four levels of protein structure?
31. Describe each level of protein structure (i.e. how is the level formed)
32. What does the term “denaturation” mean. How can a protein be “denatured”?
33. Can a denatured protein be “renatured”? If yes, how?
34. What are the two types of Nucleic Acids?
35. What is the structure of a Nucleotide for each Nucleic Acid?
36. How are proteins “made” from the information carried in our DNA?
37. What are the two families of nucleotide nitrogenous bases? And what are the bases
that belong to each family?
38. Which bases are found in DNA? In RNA?
39. What is the proper pairing of the base pairs?
40. What is the shape of a DNA molecule?